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DPP bill calls for poll on cross-strait agreements

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday proposed a draft bill that would require any cross-strait agreements on issues concerning “critical national interests” be put to a referendum and decided on by Taiwanese voters.

“The proposed bill prohibits the government from authorizing civil groups to sign agreements between Taiwan and China on issues that concern national defense, diplomacy, finance and economics,” DPP caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) told a press conference.

Under the proposed bill, before the government signs any agreements with China, the Executive Yuan must submit drafts of the agreements to the Legislative Yuan. Those drafts must then be negotiated and passed by respective legislative committees and the agreements could only take effect after gaining the approval of Taiwanese voters in a referendum.

“The spirit of the bill is to make sure that Taiwan’s future is decided by its 23 million people,” Lai said, adding that such major agreements as the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) with China must first obtain the approval of Taiwanese voters via a referendum.

DPP Legislator Chen Chi-yu (陳啟昱) said the proposed bill was also aimed at strengthening the Legislative Yuan’s monitoring system and supervising cross-strait agreements undertaken by the Executive Yuan on national issues.

As an example of why the bill was needed, Chen said that this June after an agreement on cross-strait charter flight services was signed by Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation and its Chinese counterpart, “[President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) government] was oblivious to the legislature’s supervision but only informed the legislature later via an administrative directive.”

On agreements to be signed by civil groups authorized by the Mainland Affairs Council, the proposed bill said that the Executive Yuan must agree to the items and talk them over with the legislature before the agreement is signed.

Lai yesterday said that the caucus would send the proposed bill to the legislative Procedure Committee for approval next week.

When asked for comment, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus secretary-general Chang Sho-wen (張碩文) dismissed the need for such a bill. Chang said the Legislative Yuan should deliberate over the content of the proposal as it might constitute a legislative interference in the executive branch.

Chang added that he would urge the Executive Yuan to propose its own version of the bill.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG
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