Is Tsai Ying-wen a Lame Duck Ahead of Schedule?

 Is Tsai Ying-wen a Lame Duck Ahead of Schedule?

 China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)

 March 1, 2017

 Translation of an Except

Among the powerful young Turks in the DPP, Tainan City Mayor Lai Ching-te declined to be drafted by President Tsai to serve in the central government; Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu walks her own path in grooming legislator Liu Shih-fang to seek the 2018 mayoral nomination in the DPP for Kaohsiung City; Chiayi County executive Chang Hua-kuan, a couple of days ago, blatantly interrupted Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen’s conversation at the DPP Central Standing Committee meeting, complaining about the inept efficiency of the Executive Yuan in pushing economic construction; the New Tide faction openly blasting the election strategy committee of the party central for its very poor performance in the re-election campaign for the National Farmers Association, forcing Chen Ming-wen to tender his resignation in order to shoulder responsibility. Tsai Ing-wen had to treat everyone to dinner in order to smooth things over. These political signals all indicate a warning that President Tsai may face being a lame duck ahead of schedule.

In the latest opinion poll on the popularity of political figures, Tsai Ying-wen’s rating dropped to 29%, falling to 11^th place. Tsai not only lost to the DPP's Chen Chu, Lai Ching-te and several other local chiefs, but she also lost to former President Ma Ying-jeou. If Tsai Ing-wen wants to salvage her political life and avoid becoming a lame-duck President ahead of schedule, she must first of all try to raise her satisfaction rating in opinion polls. To achieve this, the crux of the matter is to set up a very strong team of staff to help the President formulate practicable policy strategies in administration. The emphasis of policy strategies in administration, plainly, is very simple. That lies in stabilizing cross-Strait relations and returning to bread and butter issues, and making Taiwan's economy prosperous.

In fact, there are only a few steps left before President Tsai becomes a lame duck. If she does not quickly work for her salvation, letting her poor ratings continue to slide, then when the factions depart from the leadership in heart, even blatantly confronting her for the sake of grabbing political resources, Tsai would inevitably be unable to grasp the legislative majority, making it difficult for her to push for important economic and bread and butter bills. When that time comes, only the Almighty can help her.

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