The Executive Yuan’s Referendum Review Committee yesterday again turned down a referendum proposal by Taiwan Solidarity Union Chairman Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) on the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed between Taiwan and China in June last year.
In his third bid, Huang had submitted a referendum proposal asking the question: “Do you agree with the government’s signing the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with China?”
The ECFA, which came into force in September and whose “early harvest” list of items receiving preferential tariff treatment came into effect on Saturday, has been touted as a means to further liberalize cross-strait trade.
However, critics claim it is a trap by Beijing to lure Taiwan into an eventual political merger with China.
Similar proposals were rejected by the Referendum Review Committee on June 3 and Aug. 11 last year on the grounds that the question did not fall under what was permitted in the Referendum Act (公民投票法).
Despite the two previous rejections, Huang submitted the same proposal again last month.
“Supporters and opponents of the referendum proposal debated on whether this proposal was the same as the previous one,” Central Election Commission secretary-general Teng Tien-yu (鄧天祐), who doubles as executive secretary of the Referendum Review Committee, said of the two-hour meeting.
“In the end, they put it to a vote and the proposal was turned down by a 10-to-four vote,” Teng said.
According to the Referendum Act, a referendum proposal cannot be made again within three years after it is rejected.
“The rejection shows that the government under the leadership of President Ma Ying-jeou [馬英九] is against the values of democracy and the will of the people,” Huang said in a statement last night.
“The proposals were endorsed by more than 300,000 citizens and yet the government denies these people the right to speak,” Huang said.
“The government will eventually pay for it,” he added.
“The ECFA will have a huge impact on Taiwan’s economy, politics and society. Government officials — including Ma himself — have always emphasized the importance of the pact,” Huang said. “And yet, the government excludes all forms of public participation in the decision-making. This just isn’t normal [in democratic systems].”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
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