Shrewd maneuvering by Taiwan's opposition parties have denied President Chen Shui-bian a political victory in the runup to the election that will be held next spring. Parliament has approved a bill, proposed by Mr. Chen, that permits referendums on critical issues. But the final version of the legislation denies the president many of the powers he sought -- and had hoped to use for political advantage in domestic politics. The outcome should forestall a threatened crisis between Beijing and Taipei, a fight the president may have been spoiling for.
Officially, Mr. Chen proposed the referendum legislation to consolidate Taiwan's democracy. He maintained that the Taiwanese people should have a say on important political issues. In particular, he had hoped to use the device to make it easier to amend the constitution. It is assumed -- although Mr. Chen denies it -- that referendums would make it easier to push for independence.
That unspoken assumption prompted China's opposition to the proposal, which is precisely what Mr. Chen had anticipated. The president was trailing his opponents in polls and a fight with Beijing is usually a boost for the incumbent's prospects: The Taiwanese people do not like being told what they can and cannot do. Denying them the opportunity to speak out on important issues only adds to their anger.