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Date set for review of referendum law

From left to right, KMT legislative whip Lee Chia-chin, DPP Legislator Trong Chai, TSU Legislator Liao Pen-yen, DPP legislative whip Ker Chien-ming and PFP legislative whip Chou Hsi-wei discuss referendum legislation yesterday. PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUI, TAIPEI TIMES

Ruling and opposition lawmakers yesterday agreed to an end-of-November deadline to pass a referendum law.

After cross-party negotiations, the legislative caucuses agreed to review competing versions of the law in a two-day special sitting starting on Nov. 26.

The legislature will review bills presented by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party caucus (DPP) and the Cabinet, and a version drafted jointly by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP).

A bill presented by DPP Legislator Trong Chai (蔡同榮) and endorsed by the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) will also be reviewed.

Referendum legislation had been stalled after lawmakers failed to meet their own deadline to pass the law in July.

The parties have been divided over whether to allow the government to initiate referendums and whether the nation should have a referendum coinciding with major elections.

Legislative leaders will try to iron out these differences in four rounds of inter-party negotiations.

The KMT and PFP disagree with the pan-green camp's view that the government should be able to propose referendums, saying that only the people should be allowed to initiate referendums.

The version offered by the KMT and PFP prohibits referendums on sovereignty issues, such as changing the nation's name, flag or anthem.

It also includes no provision for "defensive" referendums, as the Cabinet's version has, which would allow the government to hold a referendum on independence if the country is attacked.

But KMT and PFP leaders at the legislature have softened their tone on some issues.

"The KMT and PFP caucuses plan to bring up an amendment to the joint draft referendum law, relaxing restrictions on referendum topics," KMT whip Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進) said yesterday.

The KMT could rephrase its version of the law to allow referendums on all topics as long as the possible results comply with the spirit of the Constitution, Lee said.

PFP whip Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋) said: "The revision would do the most to relax the original restrictions, including on the ban on including issues of sovereignty, to meet the need to protect the people's right to initiate referendums."

Chou said the pan-blue alliance's compromise should not be interpreted as agreement with the DPP's stance.

"The KMT-PFP alliance decided to relax this provision because we decided to be open-minded on referendum topics to safeguard the people's right to have referendums. The change of view was not the result of deciding to side with the ruling party's pro-independence position," Chou said.

Meanwhile, the KMT said it would be willing to hold a debate between its chairman and presidential candidate, Lien Chan (連戰), and President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) on the referendum issue.

The KMT made the suggestion in response to an offer from the DPP to hold a public debate between DPP and KMT representatives, including Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
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