Ma's KMT Government Again Tries to Pass the Buck

Wednesday March 21, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

As the beef with ractopamine issue rages, we once again find Ma Ying-jeou's government looking for someone to pass the buck. Now they are trying to say the fault is that of the DPP from 2007 and not for what they did but what they supposedly intended to do. Say what?

In June of 2005, the DPP government blocked the import of US beef following a second reported case of mad cow disease in the US. They did not lift that ban before the KMT took over power in 2008. The next four years till 2012 have been all under the KMT watch. So where is the beef?

True to form, KMT spokesman Yin Wei said that by a letter to the WTO in 2007, the DPP seemed to be planning to establish residue limits. Of course they did not, but by the interpretation of the KMT, they "intended" to lift the ban.

Now five years later, the KMT is saying it should not be responsible for wanting to lift the ban to please the USA, because, well... the DPP intended to do it five years earlier.

Many questions arise. Is the KMT bound to carry out what the DPP intends to do?? Has the KMT ever done anything that the DPP intended to do?

What has happened in the period from 2008 to 2012? Has the KMT been asleep at the wheel? Have they done nothing on their own even though they were in power with an absolute majority?

Is this the only excuse that they can come up with for their incompetence and lack of initiative? It is the DPP's fault because they intended to do something five years ago.

Once again Taiwan voters have to ask the question, why did we elect a government whose only action is to try and pass the buck if something goes wrong.