Taipei Times
Date: , May 23, 2016
By: Chen Hui-ping and Su Yung-yao / Staff reporters

The public is closely watching how President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration delivers on her promises of political reform — namely the implementation of the transitional justice concept, reforms to the Legislative Yuan and increasing government efficiency.

The administration should aim for high standards when pushing the reforms, as it would speed up Taiwan’s democratization. These include ensuring greater transparency and open supervision of the Legislative Yuan via legal amendments, as well as promoting reforms that would require amending the Constitution.

Those amendments are aimed at establishing the kind of system the central government will adopt and eliminate long-standing problems by clarifying the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches and abolishing the Examination and Control yuans.

However, for the government to truly become more efficient, it must start with the most vital element — the civil servants themselves. Whether the administration is able to establish a system to rank civil servants and ensure such jobs are no longer seen as a guarantee of an “iron rice bowl” will be key.

As for the implementation of the concept of transitional justice, it is a race against time and the Tsai administration must act fast to avoid a situation where calls to implement transitional justice seem to be more a slogan than an actual accomplishment.     [FULL  STORY]