12.06.2014

Turn The Page

Finally, this time is different as the Taiwan’s ruling party, KMT, was heavily bruised at the recent election held on Nov. 29. The main opposition party, DPP, could even crush the KMT to the core, if it can win another two seats of county magistrates, out of the total positions of 22. DPP knocked out KMT at 13 to 6 at the end.

Local political and economic landscapes have been too rotten to justify a series of so-called decent reforms laid out by Taiwan President, Ma ying-jeou, who in past six years failed to cheer Taiwanese. Though it may be acceptable to say the KMT has done itself well to handle its ties with China, Taiwanese have increasingly turned out to be the victims of the M-type income distribution. Corruption have been more rampant in recent years than when Taiwan was led by the DPP party, during 2000 to 2008, with the despicable showing coming as the major reason for the KMT’s defeat.

At a time when the KMT is struggling with its reshuffling of the Cabinet’s members and its policy toward the island, Taiwanese have embraced the democratic traits by choosing the opposition party candidates as most of new leaders in local counties and municipalities. It may be too early to say the DPP can thwart the pro-China KMT at the Presidential election in 2016, but chances for DPP’s win appear strong as KMT obviously will remain as a lame duck due to the party's currently-raging internal conflict.

The election results sent a loud message - there does exist swing voters in an election, and a country can’t be controlled by big conglomerates as well as political profiteers in managing Taiwan-China relations. The cross-strait tie is always hotly-debated in local elections. A further improved link with China is of course widely wished, but needed to be achieved via the upgrade of public well-being.

People do vote for a change .....


Good luck !!