Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

The justice system and politics in Taiwan

Gerrit van der Wees

As one of the co-signers of several letters by a group of about 30 international academics and writers to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) about the erosion of justice in Taiwan since he took office in May 2008, I was pleased to hear about the Taipei District Court’s verdict on Friday acquitting former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his wife of money-laundering charges. Finally, I thought, Taiwan’s judicial system is moving in the direction of fairness and impartiality.

However, we were in for a rude awakening when over the weekend the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) — from Ma on down — displayed partisanship at its worst when party members lambasted the court’s ruling and urged voters to “vent their displeasure” at the upcoming elections for five special municipalities on Nov. 27.

Total distraction, irresponsibility

Taipei Times Editorial

“Total governance, total responsibility (完全執政, 完全負責)” were the words pledged by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his administration when it assumed power in 2008. Gathering from the pattern the Presidential Office follows in dealing with news events, it appears, however, the ultimate position it holds is this: While the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is the governing party, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is the one who should shoulder all blame when the government’s policy runs into a roadblock or something goes awry.

As a first case in point, prior to the Ma-Tsai debate in April on the then-proposed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), Presidential Office Spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) posted questions for Tsai and demanded that she be responsible for suggesting items for inclusion on the cross-strait trade pact’s “early harvest” list.

Vying for votes in a changed milieu

Taipei Times Editorial

The five special municipality elections on Nov. 27 are developing into a strange set of elections. The ruling Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is behaving like an opposition party as it goes on the attack, while the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) runs a defensive, stable campaign as if it were in power.

In addition to controlling the national government, the KMT is also in charge of Taipei City, Taipei County and Taichung City. The DPP, on the other hand, is using its best potential candidates for the 2012 presidential election in these elections, as former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) are running in Taipei City and Sinbei City. Some think Su and Tsai would prefer not to win, as they would not want to miss out on the presidential election. At the same time, they cannot afford to lose this month, as that would make it difficult for them to convince the party that they have a real chance of winning a presidential election.

Japan may place troops close to disputed islands

Taipei Times

Tokyo is considering placing troops on a remote Japanese island in the East China Sea to monitor China’s expanded naval activities that have worried its neighbors, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported yesterday.

The defense ministry wishes to create a “coastal security surveillance team” with the main mission to radar-monitor Chinese naval activities, the newspaper said, citing ministry sources.

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