Focing Asia >> Taiwan

By Joseph Yeh
Taiwan News, Staff Reporter
Page 2
2008-01-04 01:09 AM

Local scholars yesterday urged legislative candidates across the party lines to respect the multi-ethnic society in Taiwan instead of manipulating ethnic issues in a bid to win the upcoming elections. The scholars also urged the public not to vote for candidates who stir up ethnic conflict for political expediency.

"Politicians should have a sense of social responsibility and encourage harmonious relations between different ethnicities on the island instead of inciting anger and causing antagonism in order to gain votes," said Chien Hsi-chieh Executive Director of the Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan at a press conference held at the Legislature Yuan yesterday.
Chien said that in Taiwan, where people of different ethnicities reside, differing opinions on certain issues are often expressed because of the varied historical backgrounds. However, a multi-ethnic culture is an integral part of a democratic society and should be valued by the people, he said.
Chien noted that many local politicians tended to stir up antagonism among different ethnic groups, as they see this as a campaign strategy that proved effective in previous elections.
Chien pointed to the recent controversy over the renaming of the National Democracy Hall as a perfect example of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and opposition Kuomintang attempting to make short-term political gains by from ethnic differences.
"The DPP administration impetuously implemented the name change, in disregard of the fact that many people still have a deep attachment to the era when Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) ruled," said Chien.
The KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) then pledged to immediately restore the hall's name to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall if he is elected president in March, Chien noted.
Chien labeled both stances as examples of bad decisions that could trigger even more strife between native Taiwanese and the so-called "mainlanders."
In an effort to promote ethnic harmony in the country ahead of the January 12 legislative elections, Chien's foundation last month invited candidates across party lines to sign a pledge not to stir up ethnic conflict for electioneering purposes.
However, only around 33 to 35 percent of the legislative candidates from the DPP and KMT signed the pledge, said Li Kuang-chun, a professor at National Central University's Graduate Institute of Law and Government.
Li said that all of the legislative candidates from the smaller Taiwan Solidarity Union, the Third Society Party, and the New Party signed the pledge.
"This indicates that the two major parties are focusing mainly on consolidating support in certain localities in a bid to win the elections, and are therefore less concerned with promoting racial harmony," said Li.
The smaller parties, however, paid more attention to the pledge, as they wish to attract wider support, he said.
Li added that it would be interesting to see if the candidates who signed the pledge actually did better in the legislative elections.