by
N. Peter Kramer
Taipei, January 15, 2016
Saturday 16 January approximately 19 million Taiwanese voters will choose a new President and Vice-President, as well as a new Legislative Yuan, the Taiwanese parliament. According to the constitution President Ma can’t be reelected after two terms in office, but also the majority of his party, the Kuomintang (KMT), is on stake. A double loss looms for the party that continued the Republic of China on the former Formosa in 1949 under the leadership of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.
During a television debate of the 3 Taiwanese presidential candidates Eric Chu, Ms Tsai Ing-wen and James Soong fleshed out key policies in response to questions from civic groups. Addressing national development issues ranging from the economy, finance, the judiciary and labour to technology, the trio were bullish on upgrading the country’s internet infrastructure, maintaining the independent operation of the Central Bank and implementing judicial reform. Eric Chu, Chairman of the ruling KMT, said “it is the President’s duty to uphold justice and promote judicial reform.”
Tsai Ing-wen, Chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), called for unity to take the country’s development to the next level. She pledged to work with her rivals after the election in facing the challenges ahead. “We will lay a solid foundation for Taiwan’s sustainable growth, by uniting all forces in favor of reform,” she said. James Soong, Chairman of the People First Party PFP), proposed a scheme to keep Taiwan’s economy growing. Most important in his view is to pay more intention to SMEs, which are ‘the bedrock of the nation’, adding that the government must spare no effort in assisting them, to enhance their competitiveness.
After 8 years of rapprochement under outgoing President Ma Ying-jeou (KMT), the election of the DPP candidate Ms Tsai as the first female president of Taiwan, could put again pressure on relations of the island state and mainland China; the US protected Taiwan will again become a point of contention in the already chilled-US-China relations. Taiwan and Mainland China agreed on a One China policy, that means that Taiwan is not conversing its ‘de facto’ indepency in an official one. This policy is based on the 1992 Consensus that both sides have accept.
"Everyone knows my views," Ms Tsai replies asked about her China policy. ‘It is all about communication, communication and communication. I expect Beijing to respect the democratic outcome and our sovereignty. I am ready to continue the talks and contacts on the basis of equality and recognition of differences." She adds: "The future of Taiwan will be determined by independent sovereign, democratic Taiwanese and not elsewhere by others. This may not come as a surprise to anyone."
Tsai Ing-wen avoids the question whether as president and with a majority in parliament she will turn the de facto independence of Taiwan into a constitutionally controlled independence, as many young people and partisans would like to see. Not surprising: this could lead to an explosive situation in an already tense region around the South China Sea. The Chinese president Xi will never accept the formal proclamation of an independent Taiwan.
