Bad news this week for the DPP out of an unexpected spot: Tainan. After the primary, DPP heavyweights picked Lee Chun-yee as the candidate for the County Chief election later this year. But Mark Chen, the former Foreign Minister, a candidate for the DPP slate, complained that "factional influences" had caused the DPP to select Lee, and said that he would run separately, creating a split DPP ticket that would give the KMT a strong change of winning. The Taipei Times had a few pointed remarks on the topic:In going against public opinion, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) says the party has opted for a generational change. At the same time, however, Tsai is trying to stamp her authority on the party and make a clean break with the past.The "generational change" Tsai wants is illustrated by the simple fact that Chen is now 74 years old. Time for younger people, and more importantly, time for DPP politicians to stop thinking they are bigger than the party or its policies.
Factional considerations may also have played a role. Although the party supposedly abolished its factions in 2006, Mark Chen is close to — and the preferred choice of — former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
Tsai is taking a risk. A split pan-green vote would open the door for a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) victory in a place the DPP has controlled for the last 16 years. Nor is Tainan a place the DPP can afford to lose, given the challenges it faces in other parts of the country.
Pan-green incumbents in the south are already under pressure because of the central government’s uneven distribution of development funds — which has left DPP-controlled authorities with the short end of the stick — and an apparent boycott of pan-green counties and cities by Chinese tourists.
Meanwhile, the questionable legal proceedings against Chiayi County Commissioner Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) and Yunlin County Commissioner Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬) will test the pair’s ability to win re-election.
I've blogged on the development policies here, but it would be great if we could get more reporting on the alleged tourist boycott.
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And what's weird is Mark Chen I think only one one of the two telephone survey polls used. How come no one is talking about that?
ReplyDeleteYou haven't mentioned the possible behind the scenes influence of Chen Shui-bian in this affair. While I don't believe some of the wilder conspiracy theories, A-bian may be using this as a wedge to try and get some kind of favours from the DPP.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about Taiwanese groups where they have to endlessly fracture over petty jealously and ego.
ReplyDeleteApple, I thought the Taipei Times piece discussed it! Anyway, I was saving it for a post on Chen.
ReplyDeleteBoycott? I doubt any mainland tourists are out to make a political statement on their first trip to Taiwan. I think it's more accurate to say no one wants to go to a place where you're liable to be spat on or insulted because of your accent.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of Zhang Mingqing being pushed to the ground is fresh in my mind. I personally had the opportunity to visit my in-laws in Taiwan in early Jan of this year... but why would I want to expose my kids to that type of hostility? We just spent the extra time in Shenzhen.
We'll wait a few more years before taking a chance on Taiwan... and even then, no way in hell would I visit Tainan.
Anon 12:05:
ReplyDeleteWhat is it? It's one of the chief ill consequences of the "harmony" value. Squelching disagreement most of the time -- habitually buttoning one's lip -- does not mean one is cooperating. When something of value is at stake, "harmony's" legacy becomes clear: People have learned neither to cooperate nor how to argue with each other in ways that maintain respect for the other.
There can be no good politics in Taiwan until the "harmony" value is outed as the creator/maintaining device of disharmony that it is.
It's funny, because in my mind I keep hearing Zhang Ming-qing's threats to murder everyone on the island and annex it to China. When you threaten to kill people, it is liable to result in hostility. Maybe your side ought to reconsider its position. People who don't threaten Taiwanese, like we Americans, are treated with warmth and courtesy.
ReplyDeleteThe problem isn't the people of Tainan, a wonderful, warm city, but the people who want to burn Tainan to the ground to annex the island.
I don't want to have to go through this again, but 1) Zhang Ming-qing is a former official with a very high position. 2) He wasn't pushed, though yes, people were shouting at him and getting very close.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese students in Taiwan are in my experiences, all treated in a fairly warm way, though that they spend all their time on vacation while here makes them sort of MIA all the time. They are fairly unserious when it comes to studies.
Michael, TT's report on this topic is very biased. Lots of details (on the side of DPP) are missing, and seriously misleading readers by blaming the "factional fight" between Yeh and Lee to Mark Chen.
ReplyDeleteI am very surprised to read such an biased editorial from TT.
I'll blog about this soon.
"We'll wait a few more years before taking a chance on Taiwan... and even then, no way in hell would I visit Tainan."
ReplyDeleteHahaha, sucks to be you. Enjoy Shenzhen for now and see you in a few years, comrade!
"The pictures of Zhang Mingqing being pushed to the ground is fresh in my mind. I personally had the opportunity to visit my in-laws in Taiwan in early Jan of this year... but why would I want to expose my kids to that type of hostility? We just spent the extra time in Shenzhen."
ReplyDeleteAs such a concerned parent, how would you like to have your kids exposed to about 1,000 missiles?