Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration has often gone out of its way to suppress the national flag of the Republic of China (ROC) in international forums, and it does not object when retired generals visiting the other side of the Taiwan Strait sing the People’s Republic of China’s national anthem — the March of the Volunteers. Now that Ma’s government is nearing its natural demise, it has suddenly transformed itself into a guardian of the ROC Constitution, mouthing slogans about “respecting the Cabinet system, as embodied in the Constitution” and “allowing the majority party in the legislature to form a Cabinet.”

The results of the presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 16 are extremely significant. They are to have an enormous impact on the future of Taiwan’s political landscape on at least three levels: First, there is the continued rise of a Taiwanese identity; second, a consolidated democracy has emerged; and third, a new citizenry has taken form.