[twntaipan]

The writer graduated from Beijing University and holds a PhD from the University of California at Los Angeles. He is now a research fellow at the East Asia Institute in Singapore.

[jpsb]

I see the Chicom are turning up the heat on Taiwan. Surprise, surprise. Let's all go buy more Chicom crap at China-mart, the PLA needs our support.

[GOP_1900AD]

I strongly suspect that the ErBu or other notable PRC intelligence assets facilitated the assassination attempt, voting problems and the recent confusion. ("Sow confusion" - Sun Tzu). I suspect that creating a negative image regarding democracy in Taiwan was the goal of these ops. I suspect that the PRC has used the fact that there are now many Taiwanese working full or part time on the mainland as a means to do false flag recruiting. I expect many Taiwanese to have less of a will to fight. This is so sad.

[ikka]

Shades of Sore-Loserman 2000. He won, there is nothing in the laws to trigger an automatic recount, so STFU guys.

[tallhappy]

Taiwan's democracy, one that American leaders pronounce to be a model for Asia, will degenerate into a lofty hope dashed by rogue politicians. A Taiwan democracy tainted by fraud and hijacked by advocates for independence would only invite Beijing to close the gate towards a general election in Hong Kong as well as the rest of China.

As if the ChiComs were going to open the gate to democracy.

before this election when they were sure Lien would win they were clamping down on Hong Kong and calling Martin Lee a traitor to the nation -- and Lee is no "splittist".

Look for desperate moves on the part of the ChiComs and their Sore-Loserman allies in Taiwan.

[NZerFromHK]

Everyone has expected Beijing will resort to smear the virtue of true representative governments by citing electoral fraud, etc in new democratized countries as neagtive examples. But this is the essence of representative democracy: there will be mistakes made - the whole thing is not bullet-proof as the American founders have plainly said. You must go through the pain and learn the values of liberty in person, and all responsbilities it beings along with the rights. Because these politica, rights are inherent in people given by God, and not through kings or rulers.

If you want a short-term "stability" and move back to authoritarianism, the only longer term thing that will happen is greater tragedy because on average, tyrants (or bad tsars, in a more colloquial term) outnumber benovlent autocrats by vast ratios.