Taiwan: The Reformer In Charge

It should have been a time to savor the fruits of a decade of hard struggle. But no sooner was Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Chen Shui-bian declared winner in Taiwan's Mar. 18 presidential election than it became clear that the transition from 55 years of one-party domination would be anything but smooth.

From Beijing came a quick rebuke of Chen's formula for normalizing relations, heightening fears that Taiwan is sliding toward a violent confrontation with its giant neighbor. And in Taipei's streets, angry recriminations against the defeated Kuomintang (KMT) pointed to a period of political infighting rather than a new era of stability and consensus Chen needs to cope with the job ahead. "We did not open the champagne bottles or cut the cake the night of the victory," says DPP official Hsiao Bi-khim. "Most of us are having difficulty even smiling today."