Low-level elections to be unified in 2014

The gradual process of democratization in Taiwan left one very ugly legacy: constant elections at one level or another kept politics at the fever pitch other countries only see once every four or five years.

Mayors of Taipei and Kaohsiung were elected at one time; county commissioners and city councils of other places at another; legislators at a third; village chiefs and borough chiefs at yet another; and the presidential contest rounded out the group.

But a law which passed its first reading in the Legislative Yuan today called for future elections of all mayors, county commissioners, city councilors, village chiefs and borough chiefs to occur at the same time starting in December 2014. Terms would all be four years, and the pre-2012 disparity in election schedules means some guys (that's gender-neutral guys) would get their upcoming terms extended or shortened.

According to the current proposal, legislators and the president would still be elected in two additional, separate elections, but both will be held in 2012 as well. So that's some improvement. Just one year of campaigning plus one year of elections.

Well, now that I see I had the date wrong (2012 instead of the accurate 2014), that's not such a great improvement after all. Still, good job, KMT caucus! (I haven't gotten to say that in a long time...)