Media important for accountability

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) on Tuesday gave an exclusive interview on Face News (新聞面對面) — a nightly political talk show hosted by lawyer and TV presenter Arthur Hsieh (謝震武) — where he discussed a number of his administration’s achievements.

However, when asked if he would serve out a full second term as mayor, he avoided giving a direct answer, repeatedly emphasizing only that he would do a good job as mayor. It was not until reporters pressed him again the following day that he said he would complete the next four-year term.

In Chinese, there is only a one-word difference between “doing something well” (zuo hao, 做好) and “completing something” (zuo man, 做滿); however, in this context, their political implications are entirely different. The former expresses an attitude toward governance, while the latter represents a concrete and verifiable commitment to his tenure. Chiang’s statement the following day underscores that the question left unanswered during the interview still needed to be addressed.

Chiang’s responses about his administration’s achievements demonstrated similar gaps. Hsieh asked why Chiang, despite believing he has a good track record, has failed to convince the public of his performance. Chiang then cited as examples the first 30 minutes of YouBike rentals being free and the removal of motorcycles from sidewalks, saying the policies have become part of people’s daily lives.

However, Hsieh was not asking for another list of achievements — he was asking why those achievements had not translated into public support. He also pressed Chiang on whether his response had actually addressed the question.

Asked how Chiang would persuade the central government to support his proposal to relocate Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), the mayor focused on the economic and transportation benefits it would bring. Those benefits could be reasons to support the move, but do not explain how he would negotiate with the central government, overcome institutional barriers and build cross-party consensus.

However, Chiang did not fail to answer every question. Asked whether a recent poll’s results surprised him, he responded directly. The criticism is not that politicians must always accept the premises of media questions — if they disagree, they can explain why, outline the constraints they face or state why they cannot make a commitment.

The issue exposed by Tuesday’s interview was not that politicians have too little to say, but that even the lengthiest of responses can leave crucial questions unaddressed. Chiang’s pledge on Wednesday to serve out his full term gives voters a clear benchmark to hold him accountable and underscores the need for the media to keep pressing for answers.

What a democracy needs most is not politicians who always have an answer, but those who do not evade questions.