A Lack of Transparency

In addition to allegations of corruption about people connected to President Chen Shui-bian, Philip Bowring notes

[The Taiwanese] legislature itself has become the playground of individuals and factions promoting themselves more than their party policies. Deals are done secretly in legislative committees so that, according to American Chamber of Commerce executive director, Richard Vuylsteke, "conflicts of interests are shielded from public scrutiny."

Indeed, in a recent report the American Chamber accused legislators of intervention in bidding processes, regulatory issues and law enforcement - charges reflected in the lack of competition, outdated rules and slow pace of the financial sector.

...unless legislators and their parties willingly submit to the kind of transparency they are demanding of Chen and the executive, Taiwan's democratic experiment will be seriously flawed, and its economy, now overly dependent on its extraordinarily dynamic electronics industry, held back.