In October 2015, the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Central Standing Committee passed a proposal endorsed by a majority of committee members calling for then-deputy legislative speaker Hung Hsiu-chu’s (洪秀柱) presidential nomination to be revoked.
The KMT recently indicated that New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) would be “pre-arranged” as the party’s candidate for next year’s presidential election.
Judging from the precedent set over Hung’s treatment, Hou is likely to be chosen only to weather unpredictable changes in Taiwan’s political climate.
The “prearrangement” means the nomination process has not been completed.
Unlike Hung, Hou’s candidacy is far from certain. As he is only “prearranged” and not nominated, the KMT could just replace him at any moment.
Hou is similar to former KMT legislator Wang Jin-pyng (王金平). Both behave in a modest, low-key style. They are good at diplomacy and do not make enemies easily. This is why the pan-blue camp suspects that their “blueness” is only skin-deep.
Wang’s political career was cut short by former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), while Hou is not regarded well by KMT members.
From an outsider’s viewpoint, it is incredible that Hou’s experiences and insight have been attacked by lower-ranked KMT politicians, given that Taiwanese try their best not to offend others.
Hou declared that he would “get the work done with both feet on the ground,” and that in a democracy like Taiwan, “people are more concerned about living and working in peace and security.”
He is not wrong, but his remarks are empty. For a presidential candidate, it is not enough to simply “get the work done.” That is only the minimum requirement for an average person.
Who does not want to live and work in peace and security? According to Confucius’ (孔子) The Analects, the ideal world as depicted in the “Chapter on Great Harmony” would be a small-scale paradise, which is far from realistic and can hardly be realized in the modern world.
In Taiwan’s case, somebody has been trying to confiscate democracy and make people’s lives much harder.
Democratic states such as the UK and the US have been established for centuries, but still need to work hard to defend their democratic systems. The duties of national leaders should not be limited to boosting the economy, which is only one of many ways to serve a nation.
Hou and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) are two sides of the same KMT coin. Although Hou keeps a low profile while Gou is much more flamboyant, they both emphasize that democracy does not put food on the table. They want to ensure that people can live “a good life,” although they do not define what that means.
In the face of China’s threats to democracy and “a good life,” neither Hou nor Gou has offered any solutions. They lack a national vision, which every president needs.
Being a president is entirely different from running a company. It is not like doing business and ensuring that everyone involved makes a profit. Neither is it like being a chief who can do whatever they see fit.
Without a national vision, a presidential candidate can only present baseless claims, saying that they can do everything while urging everyone to trust them.
Such a candidate is a fraud — like a salesperson who wants people to believe that their elixir can cure every illness.
James Wang is a senior journalist.
Translated by Emma Liu
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