Did Tsai Really Think It Through or Does She Have a Hidden Agenda?

A Commentary

Did Tsai Really Think It Through or Does She Have a Hidden Agenda?

Source: United Daily News   July 29, 2010

(Loh I-cheng, Retired Ambassador)

DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen said, “I’ve thought it through.” Instead of howling at a fire truck siren or blindly opposing the ECFA, Tsai urged the DPP to redouble its efforts to win the year-end five municipalities mayoral elections. As to the question of whether or not the cross-Strait ECFA was a good or bad thing for Taiwan, Tsai also modified her previous remarks by saying that “the issue should be left to be decided by the people of Taiwan.” However, the next day, she began to backpedal, saying that she had not changed her position, but had only tried to ponder the issue from a different angel. In the end, it seems that Tsai is facing a lot of pressure from within the DPP.

The hardliners within the DPP, such as Huang Ching-lin, former director of Taipei City Chapter, who still regards former President Chen Shui-bian as the leader of the Taiwan independence faction, have been washed away in the flood of time. Taipei City councilman Chuang Ruei-hsiung was elected DPP Taipei City Chapter director in May and assumed the office on July 9. However, media reports have focused only on former Vice President Annette Lu’s failure in the DPP Central Standing Committee election. Only a few people bothered to ponder over the meaning behind the replacement of Huang and the succession of Chuang as the DPP Taipei City Chapter director.

Tsai’s long suit is that she is able to evaluate the big picture in a calm manner, and was not beholden to dogmas or subjective opinions. Tsai also backpedaled on her previous remarks that “If the DPP regains power, we will launch a plebiscite to abrogate the cross-Strait ECFA.” Maybe this is something that makes Tsai different from Su Tseng-chang, who has been busy canvassing votes for the year-end Taipei City mayoral election.

However, Su Tseng-chang is not a fool. He would rather fail than succeed in his race. The real purpose for his running against the current Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin for Taipei City mayorship was, in fact, paving the way for a run in the 2012 Presidential election. In this way, Su just wanted to show the other DPP elders that he was still a man with clout within the party. If he wins, he can follow the Ma Ying-jeou model by running in the 2016 Presidential election. If he loses, he can still run in the 2012 Presidential election. Either way, he wins.  

With Su’s intentions clear, Yu Shyi-kun and Frank Hsieh do not have the nerve to compete with Su publicly. All Yu and Hsieh can do is wait. When the time is ripe, Tsai will boldly propose her own ideal comrade to reform the DPP, an important mission in bringing about a generational change in the DPP.  

Tsai’s words have been straightforward. She said that if the DPP really wanted to block the ECFA in the Legislative Yuan, given the fact that the KMT had a supermajority of seats and tremendous administrative resources, “a revolution with bloodshed would be unavoidable.” However, she added that that was not the way it should be in a democratic society.  How about running for Xinbei City mayorship? Tsai said confidently, “I am the best choice for Xinbei City.”

It is risky for the party chairperson to run in one of the year-end five municipalities mayoral elections. Generally speaking, Tsai has only said one thing that people find hard to agree with, “If all the people within the DPP were like Tsai Ing-wen, then it would not be called the DPP.” In fact, if the DPP had more people like Tsai Ing-wen, instead of Lu, Yu, Su, and Hsieh, the DPP could stay aloft.  

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