Local chiefs rail against referendum

Questioning the legality and necessity of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) planned referendum, pan-blue mayors and county commissioners yesterday urged Chen to submit the referendum questions to the Referendum Review Committee.

The committee -- formed by the head of the Central Election Committee and representatives from all political parties according to their representation in the legislature -- is responsible for deciding whether a referendum proposed by the people is suitable.

"All the 14 [pan-blue] heads of cities and counties agreed that Chen's proposed referendum has serious flaws in its legality and necessity," Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) policy convener Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) said at a press conference yesterday.

"Therefore they see the need to have the proposed referendum content reviewed by the Referendum Review Committee strictly for its legality," he said.

The news conference was held following a meeting attended by all pan-blue mayors and county commissioners, except Taoyuan County Commissioner Chu Li-lun (朱立倫), who was overseas.

On Jan. 16, Chen unveiled the two questions that will be put to voters in a referendum on March 20, the same day as the presidential election.

The questions will ask the people of Taiwan whether they would support enhancing the nation's defense capabilities should China refuse to withdraw the missiles it has targeting Taiwan and whether the government should negotiate with China on cross-strait peace and stability.

The opposition KMT-People First party (PFP) alliance's initial response to Chen's announcement was to brand it "illegal" and to urge pan-blue local chiefs to boycott the referendum.

But there was no talk of a boycott yesterday, and the pan-blue alliance instead turned the subject over to the Executive Yuan.

Tseng urged Premier Yu Shyi-kun "not to blindly accommodate [Chen's] proposed referendum content without regard for law and [Yu] should instead present a clear, detailed explanation on the legality and necessity of Chen's proposed referendum."

"While the president [is calling the referendum] for the sake of personal campaign electioneering, the premier should be a role model to civil servants nationwide and hold fast to the basic principle of implementing rules according to the law," Tseng said.

"To sum up the consensus of the pan-blue local chiefs, they are opposed to illegal referendums and condemned the attempt to use the referendum as a tool to manipulate the presidential election."

Before the meeting, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) -- citing the Referendum Law (公民投票法), which stipulates that a defensive referendum can be initiated by the president if the country faces an external threat to national sovereignty -- slammed Chen for "abusing such rights for a personal campaign gain."

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Pan-blue boycott threat misguided