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CEC announces compromise on two-step polling

Central Election Commission Chairman Chang Cheng-hsiung yesterday refuses to say whether the commission would dismiss local election commission chiefs who do not cooperate with the central government regarding the voting method. PHOTO: CNA

The Central Election Commission (CEC) yesterday attempted to end months of wrangling over the voting system to be used in the legislative elections by announcing it would allow voters to follow the two-step voting procedure as long as the tables and voting boxes in polling stations are placed in accordance with the one-step voting format.

CEC Chairman Chang Cheng-hsiung (張政雄) said yesterday that it would be acceptable for voters who have cast their legislative ballots to go back and pick up a referendum ballot, but only if they have not stepped outside the polling station.

Chang made the remarks at a press conference held at the Executive Yuan in Taipei in response to a report in yesterday's Chinese-language United Daily News.

Earlier yesterday, Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said that "there are signs of reconciliation. We hope the controversy can stop here."

On election day, Jan. 12, voters are entitled to cast two ballots for the next legislature -- one for their district candidate and one for their preferred party, along with two ballots for two referendums -- one on retrieving the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) stolen assets and one on demanding that high-level officials convicted of corruption return their ill-gotten gains.

The CEC decided on Nov. 16 to adopt the one-step voting procedure, in which election and referendum ballots are handed out to voters at the entrance to polling stations.

However, pan-blue camp politicians and the heads of 18 pan-blue-controlled cities and counties have insisted on adopting the two-step voting scheme, in which voters will have to cast their election ballot before proceeding to cast referendum ballots.

The United Daily News report said that the CEC was now "open to" the two-step voting procedure because voters will be allowed to cast election ballots in the first stage and referendum ballots in the second stage.

"We won't say that the CEC is `open to' the two-step voting procedure. That's the media's wording. But we will hand out referendum ballots to voters who have cast legislative ballots if they want to vote in the referendums and are still inside polling stations," Chang said.

Chang, however, insisted that electoral staff from the local election commissions would have to place desks for the distribution of ballots and voting boxes in line with the setup used in the one-step voting system.

"If voters prefer to cast their legislative ballots before casting their referendum ballots instead of casting the four ballots at the same time, we can't stop them. But I believe that only a small number of voters would do so if they wish to take part in the referendums," Shieh said.

Despite the CEC's concession, the KMT caucus yesterday continued to voice its dissatisfaction with the voting procedure.

KMT caucus whip Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) told a press conference that the proposal was no more than "superficial goodwill," as the procedure remained the same as the "one-step" system favored by the CEC.

"The CEC's so-called `flexible two-step procedure' actually follows the one-step framework ... because the four ballot boxes will still be put next to each other," he said.

"Whether this procedure will help the polls proceed smoothly should be put to further public deliberation," he said.

Tseng also criticized the CEC's amendment to the organic statute of local election commissions on Wednesday that empowers the premier to replace local commission heads on the recommendation of the CEC, saying that the Cabinet had taken over the CEC and local election commissions.

"It's as if martial law had been imposed in Taiwan again ... are we a democracy? What law authorizes the premier to fire local election commissioners? If the Cabinet dares to fire any one of them, the caucus will definitely take the matter to court," Tseng said.

Meanwhile, KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday questioned the CEC's latest decision, adding that the party would respect local government heads' handling of election affairs.

"I don't know if it's the CEC's final decision. We need to wait and see what happens next," Ma said in Banciao, Taipei County.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said only that the city government would follow the decision of Taipei City's Election Commission.

Taipei County Commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋) and Taoyuan County Commissioner Chu Li-lun (朱立倫) welcomed the CEC decision and said the county election commissions would adapt to the compromise measure if necessary.

In related news, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) yesterday approved a CEC request to replace Taipei City Election Commission Chairman Samuel Wu (吳秀光), who insisted on two-step voting.

The city election commission received an electronic version of the official notice from the premier in the late afternoon, which appointed commission member Tsai Tien-chi (蔡天啟) to take Wu's seat.

The premier also appointed Wu Chiu-ku (吳秋榖) as Hsinchu City Election Commission chairman following the resignation of Hsinchu Mayor Lin Junq-tzer (林政則) from the post on Tuesday.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MO YAN-CHIH,

CHEN CHING-MIN AND SU YUNG-YAO
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