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EDITORIAL: Raining on
Ma Ying-jeou¡¦s parade
As a leader who won a decisive re-election in January, President Ma Ying-jeou¡¦s
(°¨^¤E) inauguration for a second term yesterday was short on celebratory
atmosphere, with barbed-wired barricades blocking off areas near the
Presidential Office from protesters.
Ma is probably the first president in the nation¡¦s history to be inaugurated
amid a large-scale protest that included not only pan-green groups, but also
many who voted for him.
For a president who enjoyed more than 60 percent public support at the start of
his first term, Ma has no one but himself to blame for his plunging popularity
and he now faces daunting tasks ahead.
He has insisted that his government¡¦s recent policies, including a proposal to
relax the ban on US beef containing the livestock feed additive ractopamine to
electricity and fuel price hikes, are necessary.
However, Ma¡¦s determination to press ahead with ¡§bold reforms¡¨ reflects his
administration¡¦s arbitrary policy making process, its poor communication with
the legislative branch and its feeble public relations.
In face of unprecedented public discontent, Ma made a series of apologetic
comments on Friday and Saturday, saying that he felt sorry that his government¡¦s
policies had caused inconvenience and generated a sense of unease among the
public. However, he stopped short of offering a formal apology and failed to
outline solid solutions to the problematic policies.
Ma¡¦s inauguration speech yesterday lacked zest: He prioritized domestic issues
by pledging to boost economic growth, narrow the wealth gap and pursue social
justice, but his pledge to turn Taiwan into a nation of happiness was vague and
context-free.
His remarks on cross-strait relations lacked substance and he avoided addressing
the sensitive issue of possible political negotiations with China by reiterating
the three noes ¡X ¡§no unification, no independence and no use of force¡¨ as well
as the so-called ¡§1992 consensus.¡¨
On national defense, Ma repeated the government¡¦s position that it will maintain
a small, but strong defensive force and continue US arms purchases.
While Ma tried to paint a positive picture of the future, the situation will
worsen in his second term, where he faces big challenges. China has been
increasing pressure on his administration to enter into cross-strait political
negotiations and it will press harder for a peace treaty during his second term.
Although Ma renewed his promise to maintain the cross-strait status quo under
the three noes, this pledge will not stop Beijing from using its economic might
to force Taiwan into political negotiations, especially as the government is
scheduled to complete peripheral negotiations linked to the Economic Cooperation
Framework Agreement (ECFA) over the next two years.
Economically, with Europe¡¦s debt crisis threatening further global financial
instability, Taiwan¡¦s outlook is far from positive and a recession could impact
its slow recovery and worsen unemployment.
In his second term, Ma must avoid becoming too heavily reliant on China
economically and must carry out his promise to protect national sovereignty
while also seeking further economic ties with China.
It is important that Taiwan inks more global free-trade deals and it should play
an active role in regional economic integration. It is also crucial that the
government presents stimulus measures and encourages investment to boost local
industries¡¦ competitiveness.
Ma should communicate more with opposition parties and work harder to seek
political consensus to resolve bipartisanship, as he promised he would do in his
speech.
Most importantly, he must be a people¡¦s president, as he pledged he would be
when first elected in 2008. Only by listening to the people with humility can he
really leave a historical legacy.
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