The Chaos in Taiwan Comes from Political Appointees’ Dementia and Civil Servants’ Loss of Capacity

  The Chaos in Taiwan Comes from Political Appointees’ Dementia and Civil Servants’ Loss of Capacity

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)

 February 17, 2017

 Translation of an Except

Since the new government assumed office over a half year ago, there has been little good news, but a lot of calamities. Accidents have occurred one after another since the beginning of the Lunar New Year. Last July a tour bus was set on fire, taking the lives of 26 passengers, predominantly Mainland tourists. In a short half a year, another tour bus accident claimed a further 33 lives. At the same time, an H5N6 avian flu epidemic spread, leading to speculation that the real situation of the epidemic was being covered up. In addition, the chaotic situation caused by “one mandatory holiday, one flexible day-off,” the rage built up by the proposed annuities reform, have all added to the sense of unease the public have felt towards the future.

With respect to these chaotic situations and calamities, the government was incapable of coping to the extent that the administration has reached the stage of disintegration. The most important reason is none other than what was said by the famouswriter Nan Hua-chin: "When virtues do not match up with the positions of officials in government, calamities are bound to happen.” This quotable quote did not talk about superstitions, but rather that Tsai Ing-wen's personnel appointments indeed produced serious problems. President Tsai only recruited from the Green camp, she did not care about their talents or virtues. These appointments have made Tsai’s government heads laughingstocks. However, besides "political appointees’ dementia", another serious crisis in the operation of the government is "civil servants’ loss of capacity."

The Tsai government must squarely this crisis of dual disintegration, i.e., "political appointees’ dementia and civil servants’ loss of capacity." Tsai Ing-wen’s philosophy of recruitment, i.e., “Virtues do not match up with positions of officials in government” has in a short span of half a year allowed Taiwan to be mired in calamities of all sorts. For this reason, only by recruiting people with talent and virtues, and not solely considering political party affiliation, and by re-building the trust in civil servants, can Tsai Ing-wen release Taiwan from chaos and calamities. This is precisely what President Tsai must do with utmost urgency.

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