Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday said he and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had never opposed referendum bids launched in accordance with the law and denied that the government had changed its stance on holding referendums.
Wu made the remarks in the wake of a statement by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) on Saturday that Ma and the KMT would not object should the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) insist on pursuing a referendum on the proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China after the legislature completes its review of the proposed cross-strait trade pact.
Given that Ma has said on numerous occasions that a referendum on an ECFA was unnecessary because the proposed agreement would not touch on political issues, King’s comments were perceived by some as a change of stance on the issue of an ECFA referendum by the Ma administration.
Dismissing such speculation, Wu yesterday said the government’s stance had not changed, as it has always supported lawful referendums.
Wu’s comments were called into question by DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday.
Tsai said the KMT had on previous occassions said it would not oppose a referendum, only to block the DPP’s attempt to hold one later by using administrative means.
She was referring to the DPP’s petition drive last year for a referendum on the ECFA issue.
The DPP wanted a referendum asking: “Do you agree that the government should put the ECFA that Taiwan plans to sign with China to a referendum?”
The petition was rebuffed by the Executive Yuan’s Referendum Review Committee despite passing an initial review by the Central Election Commission. The committee turned down the petition on the grounds that it was based on a hypothetical situation and therefore did not meet the criteria set down in the Referendum Act (公民投票法).
“If they truly recognize the importance of a referendum, they should give their support to it,” Tsai said, adding that if this were the case, KMT and DPP lawmakers could come together and support a referendum proposal in the legislature.
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) is currently petitioning for a referendum on the ECFA, with the backing of the DPP.
“The response we have received from the public and grassroots movements has been overwhelming,” TSU Associate Director Chou Ni-an (周倪安) said yesterday. “I think the government recognizes this and that is why all of a sudden the premier says the administration doesn’t oppose a referendum being held.”
Organizers expect to be able to deliver almost 200,000 signatures to the Referendum Review Committee later this week, more than double the 86,000 signatures needed to pass a first review.
The referendum would ask voters whether they wanted the government to sign any type of economic agreement with China, such as “President Ma Ying-jeou’s ECFA proposal.”
“The government has finally realized that there is a tide of popular support for putting this issue to the ballot box. After all, if Penghu County residents can vote on whether they want casinos, people nationwide should have a say on whether they support this controversial measure,” Chou said.
Also See: White-collar workers rally for complete ECFA debate
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative