Yesterday midterm local elections took place in Taiwan. Up for graps were 22 various counties and cities around the island, the results of which is often seen as a litmus test of the government's popularity.
After the scandals, the mudslinging, the fanfare, fights, fireworks, and the whole culture of Taiwanese elections, the opposition Kuomingtang (Blues) garnered 15 districts, while the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (Greens) only got 6. A poor defeat, and humiliating loss.
Even the some of the staunch Greens strongholds in the south and east were lost. Is the governing party really doing so poorly? Is the government really so inept? Are people really disappointed by the undelivered elections promises? Mot sure.
But a few things are sure. The build-up of the Taiwanese media, whether broadcast or print, is predominantly biased towards the Blues...a legacy of the authoritarian era. And it is no secret the Blues, with its massive wealth is more than capable (and likely) to enage in vote-buying (though, it appears both sides are guilty of such a crime this time).
Shame though, that some of the honest, hard-working and popularist politicians are voted out of office... and in many places to be replaced by shady gangsterists and cronies of business and industry oligarchs. Perhaps the people are too gullible, ...or perhaps democracy here has reached that stage when the system becomes hijacked by the few in order to placate the many.
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Editorial: The sloth weeps, the vandal laughs
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2005/12/03/2003282820
Saturday, Dec 03, 2005,Page 8
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is in disarray. No other word can describe an organization that allowed Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) to attend, without censure, a Moonies gathering days before an election to listen to that cult's founder prattle on about spirits visiting Earth. More likely, the spirits are here to chortle as some DPP icons fall flat on their faces after the most stultifying election campaign in memory.
But Lu's pilgrimage was innocuous compared with the release of Taichung Mayor Jason Hu's (胡志強) medical details at the hands of the DPP. This astonishing betrayal of professional ethics was probably illegal, and all associated with it should be punished to the limit of the law. President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) himself made use of the incident by insinuating that Hu was physically unfit for the job -- a spurious argument, given that Hu has been one of the most entertaining candidates on offer.
The use of this tactic by Chen and other senior DPP figures points to the desperation of people who have run out of ideas and given up trying to inspire Taiwanese to build a better country.
The DPP has also failed to learn the lesson of the previous legislative contest: Local elections, though not without cross-strait significance, are fought and won on domestic issues and local connections. Instead, voters have been treated to the same tired spectacle of senior DPP politicians parachuting into local constituencies and warning of a cross-strait apocalypse if the pan-blue camp wins. Such tactics will be rewarded with a lower voter turnout.
The sobering reality is that the DPP holds less than 10 percent of all township-level administrations and less than 20 percent of city and county council seats. In these contests, the DPP was always going to "lose" the election in the face of an enduring Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presence and local clan and other non-aligned interests; what was important for the DPP was to make inroads, yet there has been little apparent enthusiasm for taking up this essential task.
The KMT has a chance of gaining county-level governments in Taipei and Ilan counties and Chiayi City. The DPP's grim challenge is to retain these seats, though Miaoli County offers a freak opportunity. The DPP's biggest concern should be failing to place its young guns into the next level of administrative influence and losing a new generation of capable national leaders. A balance of losses in Taipei County, Taichung City, Nantou County and Pingtung County would be disastrous for morale and trigger party bloodletting.
The KMT and Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) hope to celebrate tonight, especially given that the party was all but written off before the legislative elections. But Taiwanese have a lot to be concerned about, because Ma's charisma and charm have not translated into better governance in Taipei City, nor is he likely, with a good election result, to purge the inner sanctum of the KMT of its ill will toward this nation.
The People First Party could suffer losses in council seats, echoing its steep decline in the legislative elections. The Taiwan Solidarity Union may stand to gain council seats over disaffection with the DPP, but this will be little other than symbolic.
The result of this sad state of affairs will be the KMT claiming a new mandate for its agenda of legislative obstruction all the way up to the next presidential election. Such is Taiwanese democracy: The price of punishing the slothful is empowering the vandal.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Monday, October 31, 2005
halloween
Had dinner with dad tonight. Thought it was about time to see him again, after more than a month of not meeting, and brief conversations on the phone. Besides, I maybe away from Taipei for another month, so it's about time.
Saying goodbye at the bus stop again felt the end of 'just another date'. But it was with dad. I sat down in the bus, with one huge suitcase and another smaller bag of his things at the side to carry home, and immediately felt so empty. What had happened from the moment we met to the moment we parted? Two hours it was...
We walked around a bit, in search of a restaurant. He looked well, from first impression, and I do hope he's well as well. Delved into my time in Chiayi the previous week, a little bit about the mountain trail I took last Friday, and some moments we discussed the sorry state our previous tenants left our house in Holland in. Surprisingly dad didn't react too negatively towards the fact that I 'retreated' into the mountains for so long, and nor was he against the fact that I decided to stay on in Taiwan until January. We ended up eating at a shabu-shabu restaurant....plenty of food, but very busy and crowded. Sitting next to a bunch of strangers cooled the conversation down to bird flu and other little things.
After finishing dinner, we walked more, and he touched upon his retirement at the end of the year. Then it came. The issue that was left open and in doubt. What next for dad? He said he has nothing planned, and that he might go with me to Holland when I return. Deep inside, I wondered what he would do there....back to his old habits again? I thought back the times and many years he spent there in Holland, many moments and actions which caused us and this family grief....
Back at his apartment, he loaded the suitcase and bag for me to take back 'home'. All the while I was wondering whether he'd really come home, and how exactly he'd come home after suddenly leaving home. In the corridor and on the street, as I dragged the bulky load, we met a few of his dorm-mates. They were suprised to see me, and nobody had any idea who I was...probably they were surprised that dad even had a son this big. Awkward smiles, silence and questions accompanied dad and I to the bus stop.
I felt like writing this, because as I lay in bed, again at 2am, I cannot but think back, and think forward. What would it be like again with mum and dad living together? Would they tolerate one another, or make one another's lives miserable? Would dad really come back? Is it that easy for him to just walk back in the house and not feel any remorse or shame? All those arguments, worries, tears and memories flashed before my closed eyes. From childhood to teenage, to today...all those moments came together and tried to piece together what it would be like should dad come back again...
No peace, if I am to think about that all. No rest, if I am to speculate the future. All causes of suffering, it seems.
And I've been reading much about not recalling, not speculating; about living in and for the present.
I'll try, and I'll try to sleep.
Tomorrow, a simpler life in Puli awaits me again.
Saying goodbye at the bus stop again felt the end of 'just another date'. But it was with dad. I sat down in the bus, with one huge suitcase and another smaller bag of his things at the side to carry home, and immediately felt so empty. What had happened from the moment we met to the moment we parted? Two hours it was...
We walked around a bit, in search of a restaurant. He looked well, from first impression, and I do hope he's well as well. Delved into my time in Chiayi the previous week, a little bit about the mountain trail I took last Friday, and some moments we discussed the sorry state our previous tenants left our house in Holland in. Surprisingly dad didn't react too negatively towards the fact that I 'retreated' into the mountains for so long, and nor was he against the fact that I decided to stay on in Taiwan until January. We ended up eating at a shabu-shabu restaurant....plenty of food, but very busy and crowded. Sitting next to a bunch of strangers cooled the conversation down to bird flu and other little things.
After finishing dinner, we walked more, and he touched upon his retirement at the end of the year. Then it came. The issue that was left open and in doubt. What next for dad? He said he has nothing planned, and that he might go with me to Holland when I return. Deep inside, I wondered what he would do there....back to his old habits again? I thought back the times and many years he spent there in Holland, many moments and actions which caused us and this family grief....
Back at his apartment, he loaded the suitcase and bag for me to take back 'home'. All the while I was wondering whether he'd really come home, and how exactly he'd come home after suddenly leaving home. In the corridor and on the street, as I dragged the bulky load, we met a few of his dorm-mates. They were suprised to see me, and nobody had any idea who I was...probably they were surprised that dad even had a son this big. Awkward smiles, silence and questions accompanied dad and I to the bus stop.
I felt like writing this, because as I lay in bed, again at 2am, I cannot but think back, and think forward. What would it be like again with mum and dad living together? Would they tolerate one another, or make one another's lives miserable? Would dad really come back? Is it that easy for him to just walk back in the house and not feel any remorse or shame? All those arguments, worries, tears and memories flashed before my closed eyes. From childhood to teenage, to today...all those moments came together and tried to piece together what it would be like should dad come back again...
No peace, if I am to think about that all. No rest, if I am to speculate the future. All causes of suffering, it seems.
And I've been reading much about not recalling, not speculating; about living in and for the present.
I'll try, and I'll try to sleep.
Tomorrow, a simpler life in Puli awaits me again.
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