A pluralistic political milieu that includes a "loyal opposition" affords both creative opportunities and substantial responsibilities for all parties in the domestic and international arenas. In order to Identify some of the key issues in this changed political environment, the Free China Review and Free China Journal Interviewed Dr. Ma Ying-Jeou, deputy secretary-general of the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) Central Committee.
Ma, who is an expert on international relations, is a Harvard-trained lawyer and legal scholar. Before Joining the KMT Central Committee, he worked for the First National Bank of Boston, the Wall Street law firm of Cole & Deitz, and undertook research at the University of Maryland Law School. He also teaches International law part-time as an associate professor at National Chengchi University In Taipei. Excerpts from the Interview follow:
Q: Could you address the question of "internationalization" of the Kuomintang?
A: We (the KMT) started our international relations program in 1980 to accumulate more resources for the country's overall international relations by establishing international party connections. The current political reform and economic liberalization have helped our work tremendously. Many leaders of foreign political parties are quite impressed with development here since last year. There is an increased willingness on their part to get into more extensive communication with us as a result.
Q: Could you give us a couple of examples of the results of this effort?
A: In a number of areas we have increased our contacts with foreign political parties, namely, those which uphold principles of freedom and democracy and oppose totalitarian communism. We have exchanged visits and scholarships with them and sponsored conferences of various sorts in order to promote closer ties. Of course, it will take some time before the fruits of such efforts show.
Q: How many countries has the ruling party reached?
A: Over 100 political parties in more than 40 countries.
Q: What is your attitude toward the international activities of the "Democratic Progressive Party"?
A: First of all, we are still waiting for the passage of the Civic Organization Law which could remove the "DPP's" technical illegality later this year or early next year. After that, we expect to see the emergence of a few new political parties. And, as political parties are organized along ideological lines, quite naturally they will want to find their ideological comrades abroad.
The only reminder I want to give them is that our common enemy is the Chinese Communists and that national interest should always take precedent over the interests of their own parties.
Q: Why did the government tolerate the forming of the "DPP" party even before the lifting of the Chieh-yen (Emergency) Decree which prohibited such activity?
A: The President, who currently is chairman of the Kuomintang, announced last October the government's intention to lift the Emergency Decree to legalize political parties after relevant laws were made or revised. But the "DPP" jumped the gun in September to declare their establishment and, therefore, has not been officially recognized.
The net effect of that was the absence of their party title in all the official papers, including those of the Central Election Commission. That is the extent to which the government has enforced the law. Otherwise their political activities have not been hampered.
The question has now become moot because, since the lifting of the Emergency Decree, previous restrictions on political parties no longer exist. The only remaining issue is that whether their party goal conforms to the "three principles" under Article 2 of the National Security Law-namely, not to violate the Constitution or to advocate communism or the division of national territory.
Q: What is the ruling party's attitude toward the "DPP?" It is said that some of their members advocate "Taiwan Independence. "
A: I think it is difficult at this point to accurately assess the aims or intentions of the "DPP," because its leaders don't seem to speak with one voice. To some members, "self-determination" does not equal "Taiwan Independence," but some others believe it does. The "DPP" really owes the people an explanation.
Q: How do foreign political parties see what is happening in the Republic of China?
A: It depends to some extent on their sophistication about the political and economic situation here. In general, Western political parties are quite pleased to see the political democratization and economic liberalization here. After all, in their view, we are one step closer to their own political and economic systems.
Some of them have marveled at the extent of the progress that has taken place since last October amid overall social and political stability. This is, according to them, in sharp contrast with some of our Asian neighbors, including the Chinese mainland.
Q: Could you please discuss the reforms that have been taking place in the Republic of China?
A: We (the KMT) formulated our political reform program in terms of a six-item agenda on April 9, 1986. The first one is the lifting of the Emergency Decree which we have already done. The second one is related to the legalizing of the formation of political parties which, in legal terms, awaits the passage of the Civic Organization Law. The third item relates to the strengthening of local autonomy, which involves new legislation that I also expect to see next year or no later than the year after. After all, the next elections will come up at the end of 1989.
The fourth item is the most controversial but the most important one. That is parliamentary reform. We have to solve the problem of how to maintain the legitimacy of this government as a government representing the whole of China under the Constitution while paying sufficient attention to democratic principles.
The remaining two items are related to party reform within the Kuomintang, and the questions of declining morals and mounting crime rate.
Since the Legislative Yuan can only consider one or two major legislations at a time, the reform process will take some time before it is eventually realized. In tandem with these political reforms, we have announced that we are also going to remove restrictions on newspaper licensing and page limits.
We have also tried to playa role in facilitating the interaction between executive and legislative branches of the government in advance to make sure that, in later formal discussions at the Legislative Yuan (National Parliament), most political or legal wrinkles could be ironed out.
Q: Would you discuss further the timing of the legislation that will allow formation of new political parties in the ROC?
A: The decision has already been made to legalize the formation of political parties. The draft of the revised Civic Organizations Law has been completed by the Executive Yuan and is now in the hands of the party for informal consultations with members of the Legislative Yuan and with the academic community.
We hope to complete the consultations before the opening of the 80th session of the Legislative Yuan in late September and complete the legislative work by the end of the year, or maybe early next year.
As for party politics, I believe we are going to have multiple political parties, once the Civic Organization Law formally comes into effect.
The format of our party politics really depends on a number of factors; first of all, the election system in this country. We have always adopted the multiple-member district system, where in one district more than one candidate can participate and can be elected. This kind of system tends to favor a multiple-party system rather than a two-party system which nourishes only in Anglo-Saxon countries.
The second reason is the voting behavior of the general public. Here, elections are generally personality-oriented. People pay a lot of attention to a candidate's personality, rather than his political views or party affiliation.
The third element is the Chinese mentality to become the boss of a group or company—what I call the "be-the-boss mentality."
We Chinese say: "Rather be the head of a rooster than the tail of an ox." It is quite natural, then, that many people want to have their own political parties, just like a lot of businessmen who want to have their own companies.
But, after the Civic Organization Law comes into effect, many things could happen which I cannot really predict.