An Unexpectedly Hopeful Nominees List

An Unexpectedly Hopeful Nominees List
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
November 17, 2011

Summary: Yesterday the KMT made public its list of nominees for legislators without portfolio, four and a half months later than the DPP. Even Tsai Ing-wen gave the list of nominees her tentative seal of approval. The nominees were young, uncorrupt champions of underprivileged social groups. These outspoken intellectuals were moved to the head of the line. This list of nominees for legislators without portfolio had nothing to do with political patronage. In one fell swoop, it rehabilitated the KMT's old image. It demonstrated the KMT's resolved to reinvent itself.

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Yesterday the KMT made public its list of nominees for legislators without portfolio, four and a half months later than the DPP. Even Tsai Ing-wen gave the list of nominees her tentative seal of approval. The nominees were young, uncorrupt champions of underprivileged social groups. These outspoken intellectuals were moved to the head of the line. This list of nominees for legislators without portfolio had nothing to do with political patronage. In one fell swoop, it rehabilitated the KMT's old image. It demonstrated the KMT's resolved to reinvent itself.

The upcoming legislative elections are receiving less attention than normal because they are taking place at the same time as the presidential election. But the race is a close one. Therefore the KMT came up with this list of nominess. It should increase voter excitement during the election campaign. Blue Camp elected representatives have a long habit of "looking out for their own." To convince them to yield seats to professionals without ties to the party required considerable arm-twisting by the KMT central leadership. No matter. The DPP nominee list for legislators without portfolio is of dubious quality. It smacks of party factions divvying up the spoils, By contrast, the KMT nominee list for legislators without portfolio is a moral declaration. It outshines the DPP nominee list in many ways, not limited to future-looking policies.

Yaung Chih-liang fired the opening shot by revealing the list of nominees. The public now has very different expectations from the list of KMT nominees for legislator without portfolio. Yuang Chih-liang had no intention of becoming a legislator. But he was unhappy seeing "the lesser of two evils" nominated. Therefore he decided to stay at the head of the line, and keep his hat in the ring. Yaung Chih-liang's outspoken style endeared the KMT to the public. It attracted badly needed attention. Chao Li-yun tearfully withdrew her candidacy in response to the "farmhouse" controversy. Her willingness to sacrifice herself for the larger cause deeply impressed the public. Contrast this with Su Jia-chyuan's weasely stonewalling and Ker Chien-ming's pretense that nothing was amiss.

Even more importantly, the KMT's list of nominees for legislator without portfolio includes new faces from many backgrounds. This wide spectrum of nominees offers new hope. It is not just a bunch of fresh faces intended for politcial show. The first ten nominees include newcomers with professional qualifications. They include leaders of social movements, champions of the underprivileged, financial leaders, labor leaders, and others, This is unprecedented for either the Blue or Green camp. Nominees include Chief Executive Officer of the Child Welfare League Wang Yumin, financial expert Tseng Cheng-wei, and Chief Executive Officer of the Association for the Rights of Disadvantaged Patients Yang Yu-hsin. None of these nominees lead organizations with large memberships. None of them command powerful voting blocs. Yet they have been moved to the front of the line, to second, third, and fourth place. This arrangement is likely to impress the general public, especially voters, precisely because electoral considerations have been set aside.

On the other hand, consider the DPP. Not only did it not recruit from outside the party, its list of nominees all came from pressure groups in bed with DPP party factions. So-called "labor representative" Tseng Shu-hua is suspected of paying bribe money to Luo Wen-jia. That is why a controversy erupted and Tseng withdrew her candidacy despite being nominated. These people are nominally professionals. But they cannot be regarded as independent, objective, or impartial. The DPP nominees for legislator without portfolio have invited ridicule. They are examples of party factions divvying up the spoils. Wang Hsing-nan mocked the number two nominee on the list, Ker Chien-ming, as "an abscess." Even their own comrades consider these candidates "abscesses." How can they win over outsiders? By contrast, John Chiang was defeated in the KMT primaries. Chu Feng-chih and others knew enough to withdraw on their own, They were willing to do the right thing.

Compare the Blue and Green camp nominee lists, They show the difference between Ma Ying-jeou and Tsai Ing-wen. The DPP nominee list was drawn up single-handedly by Tsai Ing-wen, Superficially it represents the passing of the torch to a younger generation of leaders. Substantively, the cynical compromises and quid pro quo deals was clear to see. The nomination of "Tsai Ing-wen minions" was clear to see. Tsai Ing-wen's appealing image is largely the result of voter ignorance and wishful thinking. One glance at her nominee list for legislators without portfolio proves that she is merely another cynical practitioner of realpolitik without any trace of idealism. Compare Tsai Ing-wen's ostensible "best list" against the Blue camp nominee list. How can the DPP not feel ashamed? Ma Ying-jeou is often ridiculed as an unimaginative stuffed shirt. Yet he used his leverage to respond to society's expectations. His nominees list took everyone by surprise.

The KMT nominees list is imperfect. In fact, newcomers familiar with legislative affairs are few and far betweeen. Their lack of experience may soon be evident. Unrealistic expectations could lead to disappointments. But compare it to past nominee lists, even the DPP's lists. The KMT nominees list is refreshing and innovative. It is the least cynical, most idealistic list of nominees ever drawn up, Blue or Green, since legislators without portfolio were instituted. It is a major inspiration, one that offers hope for the future of the country.

It has elevated the election to a higher level. Such a nominees list is beneficial not merely to the image of the Blue Camp. It will enhance the quality of future legislation and increase the efficiency of the legislative process. It may help eliminate Blue vs. Green stalemates, At the very least, the public has raised expectations of the next legislature.

一份跌破眼鏡帶來期待的名單
【聯合報╱社論】
2011.11.17 01:56 am

比民進黨足足晚了四個半月，國民黨昨天提出的不分區立委名單，連蔡英文都給予「一定程度」的肯定。年輕清新的弱勢團體代表、一向敢言的知識分子均名列前茅，不再將不分區當成政治酬庸，一舉翻新了國民黨的刻板和老舊形象，展現了它改頭換面的企圖。

這次立委選舉雖因合併總統大選而降低了能見度，但在選情膠著之際，國民黨端出這份名單，應對低迷的選情有提振作用。以藍營民代一向擁兵自重的作風，要勸說他們把不分區席次讓位給素無政黨淵源的專業人士，黨中央必然經過一番溝通勸服。無論如何，比起民進黨不分區名單充滿爭議和派系分贓色彩，國民黨這份名單在道德宣示、政策指向和憧憬勾勒上，都不僅更勝一籌而已。

從楊志良自爆名列第二十拉開序幕，國民黨這場不分區提名即令人懷有不同往昔的期待。楊志良無意出任立委，但他自稱不樂見一個「比較不爛的蘋果」被輪替掉，因此選擇待在安全名單外，披掛上陣；以楊志良歐吉桑式的作風，不僅提升了國民黨欠缺的親切感，也大大增加了話題性。其後，趙麗雲為「農舍」爭議含淚宣布退出，「大局為重」的作風，對比蘇嘉全的狡賴到底和柯建銘的唾面自乾，都留給外界深刻的印象。

更重要的是，國民黨不分區名單廣納各路新面孔，拉出了一個令人可以期待的光譜，而不只是用這些新面孔來作政治點綴。在前十幾名中，具專業代表性的新人比重不少，遍及社運、弱勢、財經、勞工等領域，這在藍綠皆是前所未見的陣式。尤其，兒福聯盟執行長王育敏、財經學者曾巨威、弱勢病患權益促進會執行長楊玉欣，均非票房廣大的團體代表，卻分列最前的二、三、四名。正因為拋開選票著眼，這些安排更有可能打動一般社會大眾，尤其是中間選民。

反觀民進黨，不僅未見其對外廣泛延攬，連列名不分區的社會人士都出自和該黨關係密切的團體，也因此才會有涉及羅文嘉走路工事件的「勞工代表」鄭素華入圍復又退出的爭議演出。這少數人或有專業之名，卻無法視之為獨立、客觀、公正的人士。尤其，民進黨不分區提名不僅引起「派系分贓」之譏，王幸男還演出挑籮諷刺名列第二的柯建銘惡名昭彰的戲碼；試想，若連黨內都視之為「膿瘡」，對外更如何使民眾信服？對照之下，國民黨初選落敗的蔣孝嚴、朱鳳芝等人均知所進退，表現了有為有守的氣度。

比對藍綠兩份不分區名單，其實更能看出馬英九和蔡英文的差異和底蘊。民進黨的名單是蔡英文一手主導，表面上看雖體現了中生代接班形式，但權力分贓、現實妥協意味明顯，而「蔡英文班底」的布局更是躍然紙上；蔡英文的政治魅力，有很大部份是來自選民對她的陌生與想像，但從她的不分區構圖，卻可看出她其實只是政治現實的囚徒，看不出理想色彩。蔡英文以她自詡的「最佳名單」與藍軍的這張名單相較，能不汗顏？相對而言，馬英九常被對手譏為生硬、保守，但他借力使力，回應了社會的期待，這份名單跌破了眾人的眼鏡。

國民黨這份名單很難說是完美，事實上，不熟悉立法事務的新人太多，也可能有新手上路、眼高手低的問題。然而，相對於其過去的提名思維，乃至相對於民進黨的名單，它都表現了可喜的開創性與開放性。這可謂是不分區制實施以來，不論藍綠，最能擺脫現實挾持及較具理想色彩的一份名單，對國家整體未來的政治境界及政治風氣，應當皆有重大啟示。

拉高格局來看，這樣的名單其實不僅有利藍營形象，對於未來新國會要提升立法品質、議事效率，乃至消弭藍綠對峙，應當皆有助益。至少，民眾對下屆國會能有多一層期待。