U.S. Beef and Tax Increases Test the New Cabinet

U.S. Beef and Tax Increases Test the New Cabinet
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
February 3, 2012

Summary: Prior to the general election, the political parties were at loggerheads with each other. They gave no quarter, and asked for none in return. But once the outcome of the election was confirmed, society on Taiwan quickly returned to normal. The ruling and opposition parties resumed their assigned roles, and prepared for their next mission. Neither the winning nor the losing camps showed signs of emotional backlash. Society as a whole faced the situation calmly. Such maturity and rationality is the pride of Taiwan. We should ask ourselves how we can move ahead given this shared asset.

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Prior to the general election, the political parties were at loggerheads with each other. They gave no quarter, and asked for none in return. But once the outcome of the election was confirmed, society on Taiwan quickly returned to normal. The ruling and opposition parties resumed their assigned roles, and prepared for their next mission. Neither the winning nor the losing camps showed signs of emotional backlash. Society as a whole faced the situation calmly. Such maturity and rationality is the pride of Taiwan. We should ask ourselves how we can move ahead given this shared asset.

The KMT won the presidential election. But it received one million fewer votes than last time. Before the election the DPP assumed it would win by a small margin. Instead it lost by nearly 800,000 votes. Still, it gained 13 seats in the legislature. Before to the election, both camp floated rumors. But voters on Taiwan had minds of their own. They made choices reflecting their own priorities. The two parties made gains and suffered losses. This means Taiwan is unlikely to encounter another "winner-take-all" scenario again.

Both the Blue and Green camps need to conduct post-election soul-searching. President Ma Ying-jeou said that during the New Year holidays, he spent four days "sitting in the corner pondering his mistakes." He asked himself why the KMT received so many fewer votes. He reflected upon his new cabinet appointments. During the New Year's holiday Tsai Ing-wen traveled around Taiwan thanking voters for their support. She said times have changed, and the DPP must change with them.

This election has taught the two major parties the importance of cultivating a new generation of supporters. If a political party wishes to govern long term, it must have a large pool of talent to draw from. Such talent takes time and experience to cultivate. Therefore the Ma administration must make room for the younger generation when making its party and governmental appointments. Tsai Ing-wen said the DPP needs generational change. Her words and actions may make some "party elders" uncomfortable. But time waits for no man. As the saying goes, "The water from the upper reaches of the Yangtze push the waters from the lower reaches into the sea." Only this can inject new blood into a political party. Only this can provide a nation with fresh drive.

President Ma and newly appointed Premier Sean Chen have reshuffled the cabinet. Most outsiders give them a thumbs up. Of course some remain unhappy. They consider the magnitude of changes inadequate. But the president and vice president elect will take office on May 20. By that time, assuming the public still wants fresh blood and a new climate, there could be yet another major or minor cabinet shakeup. The time between early February and May is either short or long, depending on one's perception. During this time, Ma Ying-jeou will be conisidering new political appointments. Naturally he will be making both short and long-term plans. Therefore his current cabinet roster is understandable.

The public is watching the Ma administration like a hawk. To establish a dependable economic team at this stage, Ma must first fine tune his cabinet appointments. That is a relatively safe move. The public expects a fresh, forward looking administration. But it also needs experienced governance. All told, this is the best approach. There is no need for "reorganization and restructuring." After all the goal is not "change," but rather "improvement."

The DPP lost the presidential election. Soon afterwards, party members demanded a review. Some blamed Taiwan entrepreneurs. They even demanded boycotts. But Annette Lu wondered whether the DPP party chairman's powers were too sweeping. She reminded people that the real issue was whether to recognize the 1992 Consensus. Chen Ming-wen noted how supporters were torn between voting their hearts or voting their pocketbooks. Younger leaders even demanded that Tsai Ing-wen answer for the party's defeat, and explain why the election turned out the way it did. This led to internal debate over the DPP's power arrangements and its policy toward "[Mainland] China."

Tsai Ing-wen lost. But she still received over six million votes. She came within striking distance of the presidency. Tsai Ing-wen, DPP leaders, and DPP supporters may feel aggrieved. That is only human. But DPP leaders and DPP supporters must not forget their original intent. They must set aside their feelings of disappointment and loss, and regroup. Of course, there is always hope for the future.

Many consider the recent election a model of democracy. The winner was not arrogant. The loser was not sore. More importantly, the public on Taiwan remained law-abiding and rational. Together they established the indispenable "iron triangle of democracy."

The peaceful conclusion of the electoral process is merely the first chapter in the story. The election results are now known. How will the future unfold? The challenges have just begun. The new cabinet is still warming up. The U.S. beef controversy and the tax increase controvery loom. Now that Ma Ying-jeou has won, he must face this, the first test of his administration. Will he pass muster? The public is holding its collective breath. Many voters on Taiwan want to know whether the choice they made a month and a half ago was a wise one.

Of course none of these issues is new. The Ma administration has encountered them all before. The process may be tortuous. The questions may be old. But that does not mean the Ma administration already knows the answers. Problems arise quickly. Ruling administrations soon finds themselves beseiged. The new cabinet will officially take office next Monday. Perhaps this is too cruel. But didn't newly appointed Premier Sean Chen say that having an old hand at the helm was reassuring? The cabinet includes veteran financial and economic experts in addition to agricultural experts. Wasn't the reason for their appointment so they could hit the ground running? The second journey following the general election is about to begin.

美牛與加稅馬上考驗新內閣
2012-02-03中國時報

儘管大選前各政黨對立甚至廝殺，但是當選舉結果一確定，台灣社會很快地就恢復了平靜，朝野兩黨也「各就各位」，努力為下個階段的任務進行準備。無論是選贏的陣營還是選輸的陣營，都未見強烈反彈的情緒，整個社會也平心靜氣面對這全新的局面。這種成熟理性是台灣的驕傲，我們應思索如何以這樣的共同資產為基礎，繼續向前進。

國民黨雖然贏得總統大選，但選票較上次減少百萬票，而民進黨更是從選前預估會小贏的局面變成輸了近八十萬票，但立委席次則較上次增加了十三席。就算各陣營選前不斷進行各種放話，但看來台灣選民心中自有定見，做出了合於其價值的選擇。兩黨有得有失，說明台灣政治已很難有「贏家通吃」的傾斜局面。

也因此藍綠兩黨選後都得進行檢討與反省。馬英九總統說在新春假期裡，他用了四天時間「面壁思過」，思考國民黨票源流失的原因，也為年後布局新的人事；蔡英文則在年後的「謝票之旅」中表示，時代已經改變，民進黨必須轉型。

經歷這次選舉，兩黨都體會到培養新世代的重要。畢竟政黨如果想要永續經營，必須要有豐沛的人才庫，而人才需要時間與歷練的養成。因此馬政府在這次的黨政人事布局裡，為年輕世代留下了一些空間；蔡英文則表示，民進黨需要進行世代交替。或許這些措詞和動作，會令黨內的部分所謂大老感到不舒服，但這是時代的趨勢，後浪推前浪，政黨才會有新的生命力，國家也才會有新的動力。

外界對馬總統與準行政院長陳?這次的內閣人事改組多持正面肯定，當然也有些人不盡滿意，認為改變幅度不夠大。不過，需要注意的是，新任正副總統是五二○就任，到時候，民意如果要求「新人新氣象」，難保執政團隊又要來個幅度可大可小的換血！從二月初至五月，說長不長、說短不短，這個時候馬英九思考新的政黨人事，自然會有短中長期不同時程的規畫和布局，出現如此布局也是可以理解的。

在目前這個階段，建立一個穩定的經濟團隊，以及就民意關注度高、一定要有所安排的部會先行調整，應該算是比較穩當的做法；在想要耳目一新的民意期待與施政成熟度之間拿捏出一個適當比例才是上策，無須「為了改組而改組」，畢竟「改變」不是目的，「變好」才是。

民進黨在這次總統敗選後，黨內很快傳出檢討聲浪，雖有部分人士竟以企業為檢討的對象，甚至發起杯葛，但也有呂秀蓮就民進黨黨主席的權力是否過大，做出提醒；而針對是否應認同九二共識，陳明文也提出支持者有「要顧佛祖、還是要顧肚腹」的矛盾；甚至有新世代要求蔡英文必須提出具體的敗選檢討等等，說明這次選舉的結果，的確在民進黨內部引發對黨內權力結構機制，以及民進黨中國路線是否合宜的省思。

雖然蔡英文這次是輸了，但終究也拿下六百多萬票，在距離執政就只差這「最後一哩」的情況下，無論是蔡英文自己、民進黨人還是支持者，心有未甘以至於有些情緒性的反應，恐怕也是人情之常，只要民進黨人勿忘初心，拋下失望、失落，重新整軍，未來當然仍然問鼎有望。

很多人認為台灣這次選舉是非常優質的民主示範，這樣的成果，是由勝選一方所表現出來的不驕與敗選一方所表現出來的不餒，再加上，最重要的是，整個台灣人民的守法、理性，所共同創造的；這「民主的鐵三角」可說是缺一不可。

不過，選舉過程和平落幕也還只是整個故事的第一章，選舉結果出來後，台灣未來的路要怎麼走，挑戰才剛要開始─新內閣還在暖身，「美牛」與「加稅」兩大難題已迎面撲來，馬英九勝選後所要面對的這第一場考驗，能不能過關，大家正摒息以對；許多台灣人民想知道，半個多月前的選票抉擇是否明智。

當然，這兩大議題都不新鮮，之前馬政府也早已經歷，而且過程堪稱備受折磨；但就算是「考古題」，也不表示馬政府有充分的把握，問題如此迅速「兵臨城下」，對下個禮拜一才正式就任的新內閣來講，或許是有些殘忍，但是，準閣揆陳?不是說老船長能讓人安心嗎！團隊裡的經濟老兵加上農業專家，不就是準備好要來打這第一場硬仗嗎！台灣大選後的第二場驚奇之旅，即將展開！