Former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) used to push for reforms to protect Taiwan by adopting the “three noes” policy as well as “Taiwanization.” Later, then-president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) wished to save the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) by pushing for the party’s “localization,” hoping to compete with homegrown political parties as a pro-Taiwan KMT.
However, the present-day members of the KMT do not know what they are talking about, and do not heed the two former presidents’ words, so the party has suffered a third consecutive defeat in the January presidential election.
Soon after gaining power with the help of the KMT’s pro-local faction, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) turned to China to echo Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) “Sinicization” of Taiwan. Some KMT legislators such as Fu Kun-chi
(?) have even turned localization into a family business. Instead of following Lee’s political line, Fu puts profit before everything else, and bows down to China’s terms and conditions in exchange for its favors.
Also, some local KMT politicians have expanded and are interfering in foreign affairs, while more radical KMT politicians in Taipei and New Taipei City often act like political commentators on talk shows, trying to uncover scandals, and trying to attract KMT supporters with vulgar language.
In the past, the KMT relied on its Huang Fu-hsing (黃復興) military chapter, the Yan (顏) family in Taichung, the Chang (張) family in Yunlin and Fu Kun-chi’s family in Hualien to secure its turf in northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan respectively. It recently reorganized the Huang Fu-hsing military chapter to help solve the party leadership’s financial difficulties.
Since the three political families have money and votes, they have suddenly become major pillars of the party’s survival. Under such circumstances, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) cannot control the three families, and this is likely to limit the party’s development.
On the other side of the political aisle, the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) incoming Cabinet highlights the party’s de-academicization and de-partisanship, as many of the appointed Cabinet members are independent professionals with practical experience, which also shows the party’s ambition to expand its appeal. The DPP has not forgotten that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was recruited as an independent professional.
Academics often fill key government posts in democratic countries because of their expertise. However, one downside is they could also be more idealistic and less pragmatic.
President-elect William Lai (賴清德) has named several entrepreneurs as part of his Cabinet. They have practical backgrounds, understand Taiwan’s business situation and international trends and their achievements in business are obvious to all — not to mention they are more “down to earth.”
Such a Cabinet requires an open mindset to attract a wide range of talents that would be willing to join. After the KMT’s long rule over the half-century, some Taiwanese are still skeptical about joining the DPP’s team out of fear of KMT retaliation.
However, outstanding business talents in the private sector are now willing to join the DPP team, which is a major psychological breakthrough.
While the KMT is entangled in Sinicization, self-limiting its appeal, the DPP is going for eclecticism, pragmatism and the inclusion of “non-partisans,” as it continues to expand and to Taiwanize.
The Taiwanization of Chiang and Lee has been abandoned by the KMT and embraced by the DPP.
James Wang is a senior journalist.
ranslated by Eddy Chang
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