The ruling Kuomintang-backed amendment to the Local Government Act was steamrolled through the legislature Monday amid confrontation with the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). In the first place, the bill was not such a big deal and it was unnecessary for Ma to get so nervous about it or put his reputation on the line. It was Ma's personality flaws that caused the stonewalling by the DPP and the obstacles he faced within his own party. Ma's detachment and cowardice were what caused chaos in the legislative process. Ma could have consulted with legislators about the bill long ago but he had kept delaying the matter until the end of the legislative session. He then requested the Legislative Yuan to hold a special session to consider the proposed amendment, without first discussing the issue with the speaker, which drew rebukes from legislators of both parties. Ma's cowardice was demonstrated in his failure to stick to principle in dealing with the bill, which allowed vested interests to bargain for their own benefit and even threaten to quit the party. 