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Yu determined on WHO referendum

Premier Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday that if there is no legal basis for a referendum, the Executive Yuan would not rule out the possibility of holding a consultative referendum before the annual conference on the World Health Assembly (WHA) next year.

In an interview, Yu said a referendum is the direct exercise of civil rights, which can be found in what he claimed are the "rights of initiative and referendum stipulated in the Constitution."

Noting that the Executive Yuan sent a draft bill on initiative and referendum to the Legislature in April 2002, he said that it failed to clear the legislature.

He said that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) spoke of studying the possibility of conducting a referendum on joining the World Health Organization (WHO) and added that the Cabinet has acted on the president's words.

"If there is legal basis for conducting a referendum before the WHA conference next year, we will hold a referendum; if there is no legal basis, we will not rule out the possibility of holding a consultative referendum," he said.

Referring to a request by former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) that the Executive Yuan hold a referendum on the fate of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant along with the next year's presidential election, Yu said that a vote on the nuclear power plant is basically an essential right stipulated by the Constitution.

"It is in conformity with the Constitution, and is not against the law," the premier added, saying that he would not rule out holding a consultative referendum on the nuclear power plant.

On another matter, Yu was asked by reporter about the rumored secret deal between KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and running mate PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) that would allow Soong to serve as both vice president and premier if the Lien-Soong ticket wins next year's the presidential election.

Yu said that his political experience has shown him that in order to ensure the nation's healthy development, the vice president should not serve concurrently as premier.

Yu cited an interpretation by the Council of Grand Justices on the issue to back up his views.

The grand justices said that although the Constitution is unclear on the issue and although the nature of the duties of the two posts are not outright incompatible, concurrent service in the absence of the president or when the president is incapacitated would affect the choice of a presidential successor or the mechanism for replacing the president stipulated in the Constitution, and would not conform with the intention of the Constitution for different people to serve as vice president and premier.

Turning to the government's goal of developing the economy, Yu said that he hoped that Taiwan's economic growth would reach 3 percent this year and that the government will next year implement a three-year, NT$300 billion (US$8.64 billion) plan for public projects.

Yu said that due to the effect of the SARS outbreak, Taiwan's projected economic growth has been adjusted downward to 2.89 percent this year.

Yu said, however, the economic growth would top the 3 percent mark with the implementation by the end of this year of the three special budgets, with a total value of NT$127.7 billion -- already approved by the Legislative Yuan -- for expanding domestic demand.

"Taiwan's economic performance was better than the world level last year, since it enjoyed an annual growth rate of 3.54 percent while that of the whole world was registered at 2.2 percent," he said.

In addition, Yu said, many Taiwanese businessmen operating in China have been considering investing at home after becoming aware of how the Beijing authorities conspired to cover-up the SARS epidemic there.

When asked by a reporter about his recent criticisms of the Legislative Yuan's poor performance in reviewing bills, Yu urged the opposition to face up to their responsibilities for failing in their duties by obstructing the country's development and failing to enact bills efficiently.

Given the fact that between them the opposition parties command a majority in the legislature, the premier said that Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) could not do anything to improve the situation. "But the opposition should give the people a chance to survive," Yu said.

Responding to an opposition riposte that it is in fact the premier who has failed and who should be blamed for the legislature's foot-dragging over urgent bills, Yu said he is not a person who shifts the blame onto others or he would not have quit as deputy premier July 23, 2000 to shoulder the blame for the drowning of four people in a flash flood in Pachang Creek, Chiayi County.

"I would be failing in my duty if I did not reveal the truth and let the public know who is undermining the country's development by filibustering in the legislature," he claimed.

"Only 17 out of 106 urgent bills" went through the legislative process during the just-concluded legislative session, the premier claimed. "Figures speak louder than words, and the opposition's foot-dragging has really compromised the country's development."
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