Lawmakers propose anthem law

DPP and TSU lawmakers yesterday proposed enacting a law that would allow the people to decide what the country's national anthem should be.

The campaign is part of the movement to rectify the country's name advocated by pro-independence groups and politicians.

DPP Legislator Lin Yu-sheng (林育生) said the current national anthem was actually a KMT party song and its use as a national anthem has lacked a legal basis over the past decade.

The opening lyrics of the song say: "The Three Principles of the People are the highest guideline for our party to build the republic and to pursue the common good."

"In fact, no existing rules mention what the national anthem should be," Lin told reporters during a news conference in the legislature. "To address the legal vacuum, I suggest passing a national anthem law to give people the final say on the matter."

The Constitution has a clause stipulating the nation's flag and symbol, making it all the more desirable to enact a national anthem law so the song, whatever it is, also has legal protection, the lawmaker argued.

DPP Legislator Trong Chai (蔡同榮) supported Lin's proposal, saying the continued use of the present national anthem would deepen the impression that it is alright to blur the lines between a party and the country.

"Equating the party to the county, the former ruling KMT made its party song the national anthem, a makeshift practice that should soon end now that it is no longer in power," Chai contended.

The proposed legislation says the national anthem should be decided by the people so it can truly represent the country.

TSU Legislator Lin Chih-lung (林志隆) said it was not necessary for the national anthem to be in Mandarin but it must be able to be sung in Taiwan's 13 major dialects in line with the country's ethnic makeup.

He said it was time the country found a new national anthem as the present one could not be sung at most international events.

To avoid political controversy, the lawmaker said the national anthem should not be one that represented any political or civic organization.