Today is a good day for Taiwanese politics – the National Assembly has finally approved the Constitutional amendments that were proposed last year. The vote went as expected – with 249 out of the 300 votes being for the amendments, comfortably over the 75% threshold required. Amazingly, this is the 7th set of amendments to be made to the constitution in the last 15 years (with more promised in 2008) – which goes to show how difficult it is to transform yourself from a corrupt dictatorship of 1 billion people to an open democracy of 23 million.

The major effects of this round of amendments are:

• The Legislature (the ‘parliament’ of Taiwan) has been reformed and reduced in size. This will take effect after the next Legislative elections (in just under 3 years). Hopefully, this will mean more legislation and less fist-fights from 2008 on.
• The National Assembly has been consigned to the dustbin of history. While it may have been an important body for governing China, it has never been anything other than an undemocratic joke on Taiwan. It’s passing will not be mourned.
• Taiwan now has a rational process for future changes to the constitution. However, it is worth noting that the new rules probably make it harder to pass constitutional reform in Taiwan than anywhere else in the world.

There are bound to be a few complaints from the smaller parties over the next few days (in particular they have the right to ask for a 2nd round of voting – which will be refused), but they can now be happily ignored.

What happens next?

For DPP politicians, this isn’t the end … it’s just the beginning. Chen Shuibian has based his presidency around reforming the constitution – and he’s already got plenty of plans for what needs to be changed next:

That is “an epoch-making change,” President Chen was quoted as saying, “and that paves the way for the second phase of constitutional reform.”

The president will make a statement when the amendment is adopted, Yu said.

Under the new reform, Yu said, President Chen wishes to make amendments to the constitution on the separation of powers, system of government, legislation procedure, provincial government of Taiwan, voting age, conscription, rights of labor, and rights of the aborigines.

In particular, President Chen wants to establish a better system of government, Yu said. A presidential system of government is preferred.

The existing five-power government may have to shed the two powers of control and examination. The provincial government is likely to be abolished and the voting age lowered to 18.

There will be a change in the existing conscription system, while rights of labor and the aborigines will be written into the constitution.

When the new phase of reform is completed, Yu cited President Chen as saying, the nation will be able to have a constitution that is up to date, tailor-made and practical by 2008.

Of course, the chances of all these reforms being done by 2008 are practically zero. A president can dream though …