Politics above stability

Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui has devoted a lot of energy and time in the past few months to increasing his own power. The constitutional reforms he plans to introduce undoubtedly will strengthen his position. But he may find that Taiwan has, meanwhile, become ungovernable. Some opposition legislators clearly believe Mr. Lee is continuing to consolidate his power at the expense of law and order. That is why they prevented the president from delivering his state of the nation address. The legislators were venting their anger and frustration at the rising rate of violent crime in the country.

Taiwan, shocked by the recent murder of a popular actress's daughter, was stunned yesterday by news of a second teenager being kidnapped and killed. Responding to calls for his resignation, Prime Minister Lien Chan promised to step down after constitutional reforms are completed in July. Opposition legislators also want Mr. Lee to apologize.

What is going on here? In a democracy somebody has to bear the responsibility. But why should it be Mr. Lien? Has there been an agreement that the prime minister should be the scapegoat? Mr. Lien's position is somewhat akin to that of a French premier. He is answerable to the president and not to the parliament. Decisions are made by a committee of the ruling Kuomintang. But the committee is dominated by Mr. Lee.

During Mr. Lee's 1995 visit to the United States, which led to a major row between Beijing and Washington, he told students of his American alma mater, Cornell University, that the aspirations of the Taiwanese people were always in his heart. After winning the election, however, it now looks as though the aspirations of the Taiwanese people for a strong economy and a stable social order are no longer in his heart because he is preoccupied with politics. As a result, Taiwan can look forward to a period of instability.

-- The Hong Kong Standard