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KMT accepts CEC voting compromise

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday announced that it had accepted the Central Election Commission's (CEC) compromise system which allows voters to follow a two-step voting procedure as long as tables and ballot boxes in polling stations are placed in accordance with the one-step voting format.

"We decided to accept the CEC's decision and hopefully our compromise will ensure the continuous development of Taiwan's democracy," KMT caucus whip Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) said at a press conference yesterday at KMT headquarters.

On Nov. 16 the CEC decided to adopt a one-step voting procedure for the Jan. 12 legislative election by which election and referendum ballots are both handed to voters at the entrance to polling stations.

But the 18 pan-blue-controlled cities and counties decided to adopt two-step voting, which would require voters to cast their election ballots before being allowed to cast referendum ballots.

In an attempt to end the wrangling, CEC Chairman Chang Cheng-hsiung (張政雄) announced on Thursday that it would allow voters to follow the two-step voting procedure as long as local commissions place tables for distributing ballots and voting boxes in line with the setup used in the one-step voting format in polling stations.

The compromise proposal, however, was initially rejected by the KMT, with Tseng saying that the proposal actually "followed the one-step framework."

On Thursday the government set about replacing local election commission heads defying the one-step voting system, with Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) approving a CEC request to replace Taipei City Election Commission Chairman Samuel Wu (吳秀光).

The premier also appointed Hsinchu City Election Commission member Wu Chiu-ku (吳秋榖) to head the panel after Hsinchu Mayor Lin Junq-tzer (林政則) resigned from the post.

The KMT's change of heart followed a meeting with pan-blue local government heads to discuss the issue yesterday. Tseng said the local government heads agreed to accept the compromise in order to end the dispute which has caused turmoil and confusion among front-line election personnel.

"If there are any disputes or confusion during the election, the Executive Yuan, DPP and the CEC should take full responsibility," Tseng said.

Tseng continued to defend the KMT's stance on the two-step voting system and said the CEC presented the compromise version because it had realized the flaws inherent in the one-step voting system.

The KMT's communication and cultural committee head Huang Yu-cheng (黃玉振) joined Tseng in condemning the Cabinet and the CEC for what he described as threats to election personnel and replacing local election commissioners without legal grounds.

Huang said the consensus was made to ensure the elections run smoothly and leave the DPP with no excuse to halt them.

Earlier yesterday, Government Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said the government was considering removing four more local election commission heads.

"Local election commissions will start printing election bulletins on Monday. Before then chairmen of local election commissions who still insist on using the two-step voting format will be removed," Shieh said.

Shieh confirmed yesterday that the government is dealing with a CEC request to replace the chairman of the Taichung City Election Commission, Hsiao Chia-chi (蕭家旗), who is also Taichung deputy mayor.

Despite the KMT about-face, Shieh said last night that local election commission heads still need to reassure the central government by tomorrow that they would adopt the one-step voting procedure -- otherwise the Executive Yuan would still replace them.

"It's questionable whether Tseng's remarks suggest that local election commission heads who originally insisted on using the two-step procedure will now change their stance as well," he said.

"Only when they [local election commission heads] make public statements [on their stance] can the nation's voting system beeensured and the electorate's rights be safeguarded," he said.

It would be rather "ridiculous" if local election commission heads listen to what the KMT asked them to do when they are supposed to operate independently, Shieh said.
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