New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi’s (侯友宜) already faltering presidential campaign has been damaged by the New Taipei City Government’s response to the alleged drugging of preschoolers at a kindergarten in Banciao District (板橋). Hou’s political rivals might be secretly pleased that he has been so grievously hurt so early in the campaign, but they have no right to be.
One of the most shocking aspects of the case is the nature of some of the drugs that the children tested positive for. Barbiturates are a high-risk — potentially deadly — controlled drug, to be administered only according to advice by medical specialists. There are so many questions: How did teachers gain access to the drugs? To what extent is this case the tip of a particularly troubling iceberg? Why did the city government drag its feet in its response?
Hou has apologized, but he would have been remiss not to have. While the parents might feel his apology was appropriate, it would not do them or their children any good. Expressions of regret do nothing but confirm that something that should not have happened has occurred.
The scandal has elicited debate across the board, with members of the public, academics and professionals expressing their outrage and suspicions.
Then there are the ever-expanding sexual harassment allegations that have prompted many to hail the beginnings of a #MeToo movement in Taiwan. Politicians, academics and people in the cultural arena have been implicated, while students and faculty at several major universities have signed a petition demanding change.
Taiwanese from all walks of life are shocked and discomforted by the litany of allegations, with questions raised not only about moral standards and double standards, but also about legal protections and systemic problems.
Hou’s campaign has been buffeted by the kindergarten drugging controversy, and when the sexual harassment allegations surfaced against political party members, commentators raised their eyebrows and wondered if the issues had something to do with next year’s elections.
However, the recent allegations are quite unlike the plagiarism scandals that plagued candidates in last year’s local elections. The political motivations behind those cases were transparent. Voters were largely indifferent to accusations thrown at Ann Kao (高虹安), who went on to win the Hsinchu mayoral race for the Taiwan People’s Party, or Simon Chang (張善政), who was elected mayor of Taoyuan for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), but the kindergarten and harassment allegations are on a different level entirely. They involve children and the right people have to feel safe.
The electorate is more fully engaged with these allegations, and so irrespective of political motivations, parties need to start listening and offering solutions. Politicians and society as a whole have been given an opportunity to push for real change.
The cross-strait relationship will be a major issue in next year’s presidential election, as it always is and rightly so.
However, other important issues seem to get sidelined and never change.
Hou’s political rivals have no reason to gloat over his travails. These issues are not to do with him alone, they are not to do with the KMT alone, they are not even to do with elected officials alone. They are structural and systemic.
As the presidential campaign season heats up, Taiwanese have a right to hear what officials are going to do to improve these issues.
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