Vote threatens to paralyse Taiwan Government

TAIPEI - The pro-independence party of Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian suffered a surprise defeat in weekend legislative elections that could ease tensions with China but paralyse government on the democratic island.

Without a clear mandate in Parliament, Chen will find it hard to push through his plan to write a new constitution and thus enshrine his ambitions to transform the status of the island that China claims as a renegade province.

"Taiwan voters have clearly chosen to put the brakes on the pan-green camp," the China Times said in an editorial, referring to the colour of Chen's Democratic Progressive Party. "Rather than saying most voters voted for pan-blue, we should say they opted to maintain stability."

The opposition Nationalists, or Kuomintang, fought the election under a blue flag and on a manifesto more conciliatory towards Beijing.

The party of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek that fled the mainland in 1949 and remains committed to some form of reunification emerged the biggest winner, taking 79 seats, up from 68 in 2001. Overall, the Opposition alliance took 114 of the 225 seats.

Chen's party stayed the single largest but gained only two seats for a total of 89. With its hardline pro-independence ally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union, it controls just 101 seats.

Any form of French-style cohabitation between the two groups is unlikely because they have long been bitterly opposed and their leaders are barely on speaking terms.

The deadlock is likely to frustrate Chen's political aims and slow the drive to independence.

"China and the United States will be breathing a sigh of temporary relief," said Zhu Feng, head of the international security programme at Peking University. "The results of the election show that most people in Taiwan want the status quo."

Analysts in Taiwan agreed that the increasingly strident tone of pro-independence parties towards the end of the election campaign may have scared voters who only in March had re-elected Chen as President by just a slim margin.
"The end of the election should be the beginning of reconciliation and co-operation," Chen said yesterday. "Let us unite Taiwan, stabilise ties across the Taiwan Strait and work together for economic prosperity."

The two sides may be set on a collision course. Triumphant Nationalist leader Lien Chan at once called on Chen to name an Opposition member as Premier - a proposal Chen has rejected. "We urge Mr Chen Shui-bian to respect the new will of the people," Lien said.

The Nationalists favour closer ties with the mainland and have used their legislative majority in the past four years to block many of Chen's policy initiatives.

For example, they have blocked a proposed US$18 billion special Budget to buy advanced defensive weapons from the US, saying the deal was overpriced.

This election had been seen as a vote of confidence on Chen's push for a separate Taiwan identity, and his party's failure to boost its seats by any significant margin underlines a caution among voters over provoking China, analysts said.

The Opposition win foils Chen's plan for a new constitution since two-thirds of lawmakers must approve constitutional changes.

- REUTERS