Politicians need to look beyond elections

The real problem is not the frequency of the elections, but rather how politicians cannot operate beyond an “election mentality.”

They are always working in “campaign” mode. Look at how President Ma stumped for the Kuomintang's candidates in last month's legislative by-elections as if the races were a matter of life and death for the ruling party and his administration.

The fact is that only four seats were up for grabs and they would not make much difference in the Legislature's balance of power: the KMT still has the vast majority despite losing three of the four seats.

But Ma and the KMT were anxious to win all of the seats, as the by-elections were hyped as a warm-up to the year-end contests and 2012 races. It was said that losing the elections would mean further proof of Ma's decline and jeopardize his reelection bid.

While it is true that the KMT's losses in last month's elections have attested to the president's decline, Ma has been taking the wrong approach to boosting his popularity.

He should have improved his governance, which would have let the KMT win the elections and boosted his reelection bid. But instead he has focused his efforts on elections while ignoring what the nation really needs.

Premier Wu is trying to make Yaung stay on. But the frustrated health minister seems determined to go, having issued such a strong warning.

The premier would have to accept Yaung's proposed hikes for the NHI premiums, which would exceed the limits that Wu has promised. It would not be good for the KMT's election campaigns.

If Yaung goes, Wu will definitely have to find a replacement. It will not matter who that may be, as all he or she will need to do is rubber-stamp the premier's election-conscious policies.

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