Sat, Dec 19, 2009 page3

• INTERVIEW: DPP needs to build on trust of people: Tsai

  In the local government elections on Dec. 5 the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won in four counties and cities, and the party’s overall percentage of the vote saw a clear improvement. DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) discussed the results with Tsou Ching-wen of the ‘Liberty Times’ (sister newspaper of the ‘Taipei Times’)

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  Liberty Times: How do you look upon the results of these elections?

  Tsai Ing-wen: Of the four county commissioners that were elected, three were incumbents and they all won solid victories. In regaining power in Yilan County, we defeated the incumbent because of his poor performance. This once again gave the DPP a foothold in northern Taiwan and made inroads into this blue region, which is of major significance.

  

  Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen talks at a press conference earlier this month at the party’s headquarters in Taipei .

  PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES

  In a few areas where we have had difficulties, we edged closer [to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)]. For example, the difference in Penghu County was a mere 500-odd votes. Then there is Taitung and Taoyuan and a couple of other places. Unfortunately we lost there, but we fought well, and this shows that the traditional strength of the pan-blue camp in these areas can no longer be taken for granted.

  The total vote exceeded 45 percent, a clear improvement on the 38.2 percent from four years ago, and it is also better than the 39.5 percent in last year’s presidential election. Considering that there were no elections in areas where we traditionally have been strong, such as Tainan County and city and Kaohsiung, and also considering that we are not the ruling party, this was the best result ever in the mayor and county commissioner elections. Considering all elections, it is second only to the presidential election in 2004.

  As for the township chief and city and county councilor elections, the DPP saw a great increase in its number of seats. This has strengthened our monitoring powers in local councils and improved our ability to develop the grassroots level.

  LT: Is this in any way significant to the DPP as an opposition party?

  Tsai: This is a very positive result for the DPP, and an important step toward a comeback. In particular, given the KMT’s frequent vote buying and slander, and its disproportionate administrative resources and party assets, we are fighting an asymmetric war. This shows that Taiwan is affirming the DPP’s local government record and our ongoing reform and review.

  As I see it, the government has committed many mistakes, and the DPP has grasped this opportunity to win more votes through rational persuasion. Furthermore, pan-blue supporters did not come out to vote because they were disappointed with the achievements of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).

  That doesn’t mean we can say that these people will not come out to vote next time or that they will begin to support the DPP. That means there is still a lot of room for improvement. Only when a majority of voters trust the DPP and votes for us can we talk about victory.

  We should welcome the results with humility and be confident without being complacent, because each future election will be harder. There are seven legislative by-elections and the preparations for the special municipality elections. Beginning today, I have already told the party leadership not to relax and that they should once again begin preparing for battle.

  In terms of developing party affairs, three things must be stressed. First of all, this was the first time that the DPP had relied mainly on small donations to fight a national election, and that has helped the party transform. We are not in control of the central government and have no party assets, and we have had to put every individual and every cent to their best use in these elections. It’s as if I am once again seeing that past pioneering, hardworking spirit of the DPP. The significance of finding our way back to this traditional spirit may be even more important than the election results.

  Second, despite a lack of resources, many young cadres are not afraid to take on difficult tasks and many young candidates have been willing to take on difficult constituencies and taken up impossible challenges. They have delivered excellent results and even more importantly, they have been the engine that has helped city and county councilors and township chiefs to also deliver excellent results. The DPP must cultivate these cadres for the long term and help them grow local connections so that they can win over new voters.

  Third, the party’s unity was on full display in these elections. We have proved that the DPP is united in adversity.

  LT: What do you think the election results mean to the government?

  Tsai: The KMT’s number of votes declined in these elections. Many blue voters voted for the DPP or elected not to vote at all in order to teach the KMT a lesson. The public is capable of differentiating between the achievements of different rulers. They’re not blind, and every political party must be aware of this.

  The most significant lesson from these elections was that the public cast a vote of no confidence in the government’s performance over the past year. Behind this lies public complaints over failed economic policies, the damage to national dignity and the insensitivity of top officials.

  The public is beginning to lose patience. The government’s digging their heels in on the ECFA and US beef issues, and their ineffectual responses to natural disasters and economic decline, speak of complacency. They are in government and have a majority in the legislature, and this has blinded them to their own errors. The KMT needs to scrutinize these results, and look at the message the public is sending them: They cannot just rely on money, factions and vote buying when it comes to elections.

  LT: Next year we have five special municipalities elections. How do you plan to tackle them?

  Tsai: Well, we’ve made some minor gains during these elections, but our goal is to get back into central government. There is quite a way to go before this is achieved, and a lot of work to be done. The special municipality elections are just one step, albeit an important one. If we can win them, we may harbor some hope of victory in the next step, the legislative and presidential elections.

  However, if we are going to get that far, the last thing we want is party infighting. There is nothing wrong with competition per se, but we are going to have to unite under the party banner. Party members are going to have to put the fortunes of the party first, it’s not about having a platform for individual egos. It’s just like baseball. Winning is everything, and the only goal is to get glory for the team. Our supporters are not going to be impressed if we can’t work together.

  So, we’re going to find some time after the election and have everyone sit down together. We will need to discuss how we are going to allocate work for the 2012 presidential elections. We have to find a way we can move forward together and eradicate problems ahead. I am hoping we can do this without too many opposing voices within the party. We have several options for candidates for next year’s special municipality elections within the green-held areas that can potentially win, so we are looking for a fair, coordinated process unhindered by disputes.

  LT: What are the DPP’s mid and long-term objectives and plans, in terms of party development?

  Tsai: The DPP has made significant progress over the last few years, but that is not to say that there are not some areas in which we can improve as a party. We need to build more trust among the public and make them believe that they can really hand the reins of the country back to us.

  I don’t think it right to discuss too far into the future. Having said that, there are three things I would like the DPP to achieve before 2012. First, I would like to see us win at least three posts in the 2010 special municipality elections.

  The places we win will form the foundation of our bid for victory in 2012, and I would like at least one in the north and north central areas. Second, the party needs to produce a comprehensive and complete set of political ideas and policies, to show what we stand for.

  We want to present ourselves to the public again, but they are going to be asking us where we want to take the country. They will be asking us what we have, policy wise, to offer as an alternative to President Ma Ying-jeou’s policies. We cannot rely on the superstars within the party, or hope that the KMT are going to slip up, if we want to win the election. It is imperative that we can provide some kind of vision of how we want to see Taiwan develop, if we are going to win the people’s trust.

  I believe that the gap in support for the ruling party is because of a question of credibility, and this is something that the DPP needs to think long and hard about if we are to break through the current blue- green deadlock.

  Now that President Ma has fallen from grace, Taiwan has been left without a king to lead it into the future. We cannot rely on some superstar figure to come and elevate the party, we have to move forward as a whole. It is important for us to present a clear image and set of ideas to the public, and build on the trust of the people to give our candidates the best possible chance.
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