Legislative elections in Taiwan have given the opposition Nationalist (KMT) party a two-thirds majority and handed President Chen Shui-bian a stunning rejection. Voters turned their back on Mr. Chen's confrontational politics and his focus on national identity over practical measures to improve the lives of ordinary Taiwanese. The results could be good for Taiwan if all parties recognize the message in this ballot and adjust their policies accordingly. If, however, it is seen as just another swing in the political pendulum and another excuse for settling scores, then the KMT will face the very same humiliation the next time it goes to the polls.
Sunday's elections gave the KMT 81 seats in the 113-member Legislative Yuan, and its allies won another five. Mr. Chen's Democratic Progressive Party won only 27 seats. The results are a substantial gain for the KMT, which held just 49 percent of the seats in the old assembly. Significantly, the KMT now has a two-thirds majority that will allow it to dominate the legislature.
The elections are in many ways a referendum on Mr. Chen's administration. A fierce defender of Taiwanese nationalism and aspirant to de jure independence for Taiwan, Mr. Chen's presidency has been dedicated to strengthening Taiwanese — as opposed to Chinese — identity and keeping the mainland at a distance. The president, like other hardline activists within the DPP, already considers Taiwan to be an independent country and he has labored to make the divisions both deeper and permanent. This policy has infuriated the government in Beijing, which considers Taiwan to be a renegade province and labels Mr. Chen "a splittist." It has steadfastly refused to have any dealings with him and has warned of potentially dangerous consequences if he pursues his agenda. The president's policies have also tested the island's friends, who consider them needlessly provocative and potentially destabilizing.