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8 Taiwan Development Perspectives 2009 modity prices went up. The people expected the Kuomintang to make a change. President Ma had dialogue resumed between the Straits Exchange Foundation and the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait. The two organizations were set up in 1991 in Taiwan and China to conduct substantial relations across the strait. They signed agreements after the change of government in Taipei to start direct cross-strait flights, shipping and postal service, improve food safety and let Chinese tourists visit Taiwan. 2. End of the Islander-Mainlander Feud Thousands of islanders were killed in the February 28 Incident of 1947. What has come to be known as the reign of white terror that followed deepened the feud between the islanders and mainlanders spawned by the bloody incident. The Democratic Progressive Party capitalized on the feud to win election after election after it was inaugurated in 1986. The Kuomintang government, labeled as an alien colonial regime, could hardly reverse the trend, because the Amoy-speaking islanders form 70 percent of Taiwan’s population against 15 percent each of the mainlanders and the island-born Hakka. One result is that communal disharmony is dividing the country. The election of Ma the mainlander is proof that the islanders are putting that feud behind them. They are convinced that the Kuomintang is a Taiwanized party. In the future, no one can capitalize on the forgotten feud to win elections. 3. Taiwan’s ‘Subjectiveness’ One contribution President Chen Shui-bian made to democratic development is to strengthen Taiwan’s “subjectiveness.” He made the people conscious of their independence. This self-consciousness of independence, or subjectiveness which is a great democratic value, will be further strengthened by President Ma Ying-jeou. He fully understands Taiwan’s subjectiveness will play an important role in the conduct of its relations with China as well as the rest of the world. That understanding is reflected on his plan to organize a ministry of oceanic affairs and the appointment of Lai Hsing-yuan, a former Taiwan Solidarity Union legislator, as chairwoman of the Mainland Affairs Commission, a policy-making Cabinet agency responsible for the conduct of relations between Taiwan and China. The Taiwan Solidarity Union is a strongly pro-independence ally of the Democratic Progressive Party. III. Impact on Taiwan’s Constitutional Democracy Taiwan marked the twentieth anniversary of the lifting of martial law in 2007. The end of martial law marked the beginning of constitutional democracy. The election of President Ma Ying-jeou started a new phase of democratic politics in Taiwan. In the run-up to the election, Ma identified the failure to obey the spirit of constitutionalism as the dilemma of Taiwan on its way to true democracy. One inevitable consequence is that politicians continue to violate the laws and abuse their power. He hopes the experiences in the development of democracy in Taiwan will be reviewed in light of the principles of constitutionalism so that it may learn to “get rid of such nightmares as communally divisive mass movements, demagogic populism, and corrupt and rotten government.” He wants to start what he calls the second phase of democratic reform to consolidate the constitutional system of power matched with responsibility, promote positive competition among political parties, uphold judicial independence, strengthen the anti-corruption mechanism, promote development of civil society, and safeguard the basic human rights of minorities. He wants a rational, fair, responsible, and clean and honest democracy. The second phase of his democratic reform is highlighted by consolidation of democracy, faithful adherence to constitutionalism, and promotion of civil society.
Development of Democratic Politics after 2008 9 1. Consolidation of Democracy Samuel P. Huntington, the celebrated professor at Harvard University, theorizes a second change of ruling parties is beneficial to democratic consolidation. The Kuomintang’s comeback to power is expected to contribute to the consolidation of democracy in Taiwan. As a democracy matures, median voters increase in numbers. Political parties have to win them over to come to power. Parties then have to compete fairly against each other. The party that wins derives its legitimacy to rule from the trust and support of the people. The second change of ruling parties in Taiwan proves that its democracy is being further consolidated. 2. Adherence to Constitutionalism Constitutionalism emphasizes checks and balances through the separation of powers, upholds the rule of law, safeguards human rights, and guards against the abuse of power by a government. The Constitution mandates the president of the Republic of China as head of state, who, however, can appoint a head of government without the consent of the Legislative Yuan. Most people in Taiwan do not understand this constitutional principle. They believe their popularly elected president should be the chief executive as well. This popular misunderstanding paves the way for politicians to abuse their power in violation of the Constitution. As a matter of fact, Democratic Progressive Party leaders, from President Chen on down, did not obey the spirit of the Constitution and abused their power. President Ma follows the letter and the spirit of the Constitution. He lets the president of the Executive Yuan or premier serve as head of government in accordance with the Constitution. As a consequence, he has been criticized as a “negative” president, one who does not rule. But it is an act on the part of President Ma to prove his faithful adherence to constitutionalism. 3. Promotion of Civil Society Civil society is composed of the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society as opposed to the force-backed structures of a state and commercial institutions of the market. The role of civil society in a democratic order is vital. The political element of many civil society organizations facilitates better awareness and a more informed citizenry, who make better voting choices, participate in politics and hold government more accountable as a result. Even non-political organizations in civil society are vital for democracy. This is because they build social capital, trust and shared values, which are transferred into the political sphere and help to hold society together, facilitating an understanding of the interconnectedness of society and interests within it. Civil society displays self-governance by basic social communities and internal reviews on public participation. It is also a local democratic control and organizational social democratization. Such construction enables extraordinarily diversified society to establish a new integrated system dealing with local public affairs through the connection networks of policy negotiations and actions jointly built by the central or local governments and various organizations in a civil society. It lays the foundation for democratic consolidation. A democratic society will not be able to generate effectively restrictive power to the systems if it is not a civil one. The chiefs of lower administrative districts, township representatives, magistrates and mayors, members of the Legislative Yuan and the president are now elected by the people in a direct and open manner in Taiwan. The ability of the people to participate in public affairs has been greatly enhanced in Taiwan. Such condition has become even more solid after experiencing the second change of ruling parties and peaceful transfer of political power twice. In a civil society, the local governments have to know how to react to the contradictions and conflicts among them. They should also know how to effectively develop, manage and in-
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