Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said yesterday that the two-step voting format that pan-blue cities and counties propose using for the Jan. 12 legislative elections is illegal under existing laws.
In accordance with the Election and Recall Law of Civil Servants (
Local election commissions are obliged to take orders from the CEC, he said, adding that he, in his capacity as the nation's top administrative official, had told the electoral commissions in the 18 pan-blue cities and counties that they have no right to decide on the use of a "two step" ballot distribution and voting format.
He said the government would make the necessary preparations for voters to follow the one-step voting procedure and cast their election and referendum ballots together.
The CEC decided to adopt a one-step voting procedure, whereby voters would receive two ballots for the legislative elections and two referendum ballots when they enter the polling station and then cast them into four different boxes.
Pan-blue local government chiefs, however, have insisted that their administrations would use a two-step voting system, under which voters first cast their legislative election ballots before they are given their referendum ballots.
CEC Chairman Chang Cheng-hsiung (張政雄), when approached by reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday, said the CEC would meet with the chairmen of the 25 local election commissions next week to resolve the dispute.
"We believe we can reach an agreement and that the 18 pan-blue local government heads will not insist on a two-step process," he said.
Meanwhile, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) continued lambasting the opposition yesterday for its attempts to defy the CEC and distribute legislative ballots separately from the two referendum ballots in January, calling them "barbaric" and vowing to enforce the law.
Chen said the pan-blue camp and 18 pan-blue local government chiefs who had threatened to arrest voters who collect the ballots together were acting as if Taiwan were a police state.
"They are anti-democracy, anti-referendum and anti-Taiwan," Chen said while addressing an event held outside Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters yesterday afternoon. "Their only purpose is to protect their improperly acquired party assets. Their selfishness and disrespect for the law is intolerable."
Saying the two-step voting process violated the right of voters to a referendum, Chen vowed to support the CEC's one-step voting system and protect voters' rights.
"I believe justice is on our side," the president said. "No matter how uncivilized those local heads are, they are bound to bow before public opinion."
Two-step voting was adopted during the last presidential election in 2004, which was held in tandem with the "peace referendum," but Chen said his administration would never allow voter rights to be violated again next year.
Chen argued that these rights would be violated in the two-step process because if voters wanted to vote in the referendum they would be forced to reveal this when they picked up their ballots.
Citing the Constitution and the Election and Recall Law for Civil Servants, Chen said legislative elections and national referendums are state affairs and that the CEC has absolute authority to command and supervise district election commissions.
Additional reporting by CNA
Also See: KMT eyes CEC amendment `weapon'
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist