Tough road for Taiwan’s Tsai after rocky start to presidency

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen is battling falling popularity and increased pressure from by controversy.

Since she took the leadership in May, Tsai has been faced with a litany of challenges, from a missile and rows over personnel appointments.

Ties with rival Beijing -- which has a deep distrust of Tsai -- have become increasingly frosty, with China re

The public support that swept Tsai into power by a landslide is now wavering. Her support ratings have fallen to around 50 percent in recent surveys, from highs of 70 percent.

Ahead of her 100th day in office Saturday, Tsai admitted her new government “hasn’t done well enough”.

“I hope that others do not use 100 days to judge the success or failure of my leadership,” she told reporters last week. “Reforms need time.” Voters backed Beijing-sceptic Tsai after many saw a rapprochement with China under previous ordinary Taiwanese.

There were also fears closer cross-strait relations would threaten Taiwan’s sovereignty -- China still sees the self-ruling island as part of its territory to

Since she took the reins, Tsai has apologised to the island’s aboriginals for historic injustices, pushed for pension reform and launched a budget she says will boost new industries and social care.

But some voters feel she has focused on the wrong issues.

“Most young people can’t save money or dare to think about buying their own homes with low salaries... This is the priority for us, not political reforms,”

Others say the government has flip-flopped, including meeting the demands of recent labour protesters over working conditions and layoff compensation.

“Tsai’s government frequently changes its policies once there are backlashes or street protests,” said 45-year-old Taipei businessman James Lee, who also criticised her for expensive tastes, including hiring a personal cook.

“Before the election she showed the image of being close to the people and ate at roadside stalls,” he told AFP.

Beijing backlash

also piling on the pressure for her to acknowledge that there is only “one China”.

Tsai, whose Democratic Progressive Party is traditionally pro-independence, has never backed that concept, unlike her predecessor Ma of the Beijingfriendly Kuomintang.

and persuaded several countries to deport Taiwanese citizens to the mainland, despite the island’s repeated objections.

Tsai said recently her government has “done what it can” to maintain ties and called on both sides to bear joint responsibility for cross-strait peace.

While the public is wary over ties with Beijing, it overwhelmingly supports peace between the two sides. However, Tsai also has to appease the staunch anti-China factions within the DPP.

To keep the party under control, she needs to maintain public support for her leadership, says Wang Yeh-li, a political scientist at National Taiwan University, something he feels she is struggling to do.

“Public discontent is rising as Tsai’s policies are - ity groups that are long-term DPP supporters,” said Wang.

Tsai was forced into an embarrassing withdrawal of her nominees for two top judicial posts earlier this month. That followed a backlash from members of her own party and other critics who said one of the candidates had helped silence dissent as a prosecutor under authoritarian KMT rule in the 1970s. The other was accused of plagiarism.

It is now time for Tsai to take control and reconnect with voters, said Shih Cheng-feng, a political analyst at National Dong Hwa University.

“She has yet to show strong leadership and hasn’t sorted out her priorities to focus on things that resonate with the public...they will grow more and more impatient,” said Shih. However, some voters remain sympathetic. Catherin Kang, 38. “Many policies and infrastructure projects can’t be realised right away.”