The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) grip on executive and legislative power may have rearranged the political landscape, but there is one thing that persists even after President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) comfortable election victory last year, and that is the remarkable lack of leadership potential in the party.
With cross-strait affairs dominated by old-guard hardliners such as former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and the most visible of KMT legislators continuing to trade in defamation, rumor-mongering and the lamest of banalities, there is precious little genuine talent on show in national politics.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has its own problems, of course. The top concern for the party should not so much be its depleted legislative caucus as the quality of the remaining legislators.
Recent decades have shown that the next generation of leaders in both parties requires “blooding” in the form of management of a major city or county government. Recent elections, for example, saw DPP headquarters fail to give its brightest stars enough support on the ground to start them along this track. Consequently, some of the DPP’s best performers are languishing in compensatory party posts with worsening prospects of reentering electoral politics.
The KMT need not be so concerned for the moment about internal challenges to its leadership, given that the focus on cross-strait detente will continue to maintain Lien and other hardliners’ influence at party headquarters.
The leadership of President Ma, as weak as it appears, is rendered less vulnerable by a lack of candidates who can appeal to a wide range of grassroots KMT members and the general public. If Ma can learn to present more spine — especially on economic matters as the global gloom worsens — he should be able to withstand any party challenger that might emerge before the next election.
In the longer term, Taoyuan County Commissioner Chu Li-lun (朱立倫) is an attractive candidate who appeals to a broader range of voters.
Also of interest, however, is KMT Legislator and caucus deputy secretary-general Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾), who is shaping up as a rare commodity for the KMT.
She is willing and able to speak up on contentious matters with a reasoned and moderate stance, and in so doing can increase her credibility among voters on both sides of the divide.
Lo is the first accountant to be elected to the legislature, and has adeptly attacked wasteful use of resources by the executive, supported humanitarian visas for Tibetans and others and taken a surprising line that acknowledges the ongoing anger of victims of the 228 Incident.
While her association with the People First Party (PFP) and participation in the cult-like anti-Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) “red shirt” rallies do not lend her credibility, in key moments of legislative activity she has exhibited leadership potential rather than spew bile, muck-rake or act as a party automaton.
It will be interesting to see where her political career takes her, and indeed whether her PFP background can withstand some of her colleagues’ resentment, which has already begun to materialize.
This is certain, however: Lo’s late entry into politics, professional expertise and PFP background will help to open up debate within the KMT as it struggles to convince skeptics that it respects diversity and dissenting voices.
In an article published in Newsweek on Monday last week, President William Lai (賴清德) challenged China to retake territories it lost to Russia in the 19th century rather than invade Taiwan. “If it is really for the sake of territorial integrity, why doesn’t China take back Russia?” Lai asked, referring to territories lost in 1858 and 1860. The territories once made up the two flanks of northern Manchuria. Once ceded to Russia, they became part of the Russian far east. Claims since then have been made that China and Russia settled the disputes in the 1990s through the 2000s and that “China
Trips to the Kenting Peninsula in Pingtung County have dredged up a lot of public debate and furor, with many complaints about how expensive and unreasonable lodging is. Some people even call it a tourist “butchering ground.” Many local business owners stake claims to beach areas by setting up parasols and driving away people who do not rent them. The managing authority for the area — Kenting National Park — has long ignored the issue. Ultimately, this has affected the willingness of domestic travelers to go there, causing tourist numbers to plummet. In 2008, Taiwan opened the door to Chinese tourists and in
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) arrest is a significant development. He could have become president or vice president on a shared TPP-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) ticket and could have stood again in 2028. If he is found guilty, there would be little chance of that, but what of his party? What about the third force in Taiwanese politics? What does this mean for the disenfranchised young people who he attracted, and what does it mean for his ambitious and ideologically fickle right-hand man, TPP caucus leader Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌)? Ko and Huang have been appealing to that
On Tuesday, President William Lai (賴清德) met with a delegation from the Hoover Institution, a think tank based at Stanford University in California, to discuss strengthening US-Taiwan relations and enhancing peace and stability in the region. The delegation was led by James Ellis Jr, co-chair of the institution’s Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region project and former commander of the US Strategic Command. It also included former Australian minister for foreign affairs Marise Payne, influential US academics and other former policymakers. Think tank diplomacy is an important component of Taiwan’s efforts to maintain high-level dialogue with other nations with which it does