The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) spoke out for the first time over the US' position on national referendums, saying it would take the president on his word that he won't hold a plebiscite on the question of independence or unification.
"President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said in his inauguration speech on May 20, 2000, he would not promote a referendum to change the status quo in regards to the question of independence or unification," said AIT spokesperson Judith Mudd-Krijgelman.
"We appreciate President Chen's pledge, and we take it seriously," Mudd-Krijgelman said.
The AIT spokesperson declined to comment on or confirm reports that the AIT Director Douglas Paal had expressed Washington's reservations on holding referendums in Taiwan during a recent meeting with the president.
Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday said while there is no legal basis for the government to hold a referendum, the Cabinet is drafting an administrative decree to allow the government to do so.
"As soon as the legislature passes a referendum law, the measure would automatically be nullified," Yu said.
Since it is the consensus of both the ruling and opposition parties to hold a referendum on public policies and issues regarding people's livelihoods, Yu said, the Cabinet is obliged to propose such a measure, which has to be constitutional and not violate any existing laws.
"It's a basic human right and democratic norm to be able to hold a referendum," Yu said. "As Taiwan is a democratic country, there's no reason for us to be afraid of holding one."
As for when the government will hold a referendum, Yu said that the Cabinet will listen to the opinions of all parties.
"We won't come to a decision on whether to hold a referendum until we negotiate with all political parties, and of course, it also depends on when the ruling and opposition parities agree on the issues of the referendum," he said.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Richard Shih (石瑞琦) said the ministry would continue communications with the US so as to avoid any "misunderstanding" on the part of the US over the planned advisory referendums.
"What has been planned is not a referendum on the question of unification or independence. Instead, it's a referendum on public policy issues," Shih said.
Shih declined to clarify whether it would be the top priority for Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) to have the government's stance on the issue raised with the US administration during his ongoing visit to the US.
A year-long renovation of Taipei’s Bangka Park (艋舺公園) began yesterday, as city workers fenced off the site and cleared out belongings left by homeless residents who had been living there. Despite protests from displaced residents, a city official defended the government’s relocation efforts, saying transitional housing has been offered. The renovation of the park in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華), near Longshan Temple (龍山寺), began at 9am yesterday, as about 20 homeless people packed their belongings and left after being asked to move by city personnel. Among them was a 90-year-old woman surnamed Wang (王), who last week said that she had no plans
China might accelerate its strategic actions toward Taiwan, the South China Sea and across the first island chain, after the US officially entered a military conflict with Iran, as Beijing would perceive Washington as incapable of fighting a two-front war, a military expert said yesterday. The US’ ongoing conflict with Iran is not merely an act of retaliation or a “delaying tactic,” but a strategic military campaign aimed at dismantling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities and reshaping the regional order in the Middle East, said National Defense University distinguished adjunct lecturer Holmes Liao (廖宏祥), former McDonnell Douglas Aerospace representative in Taiwan. If
TO BE APPEALED: The environment ministry said coal reduction goals had to be reached within two months, which was against the principle of legitimate expectation The Taipei High Administrative Court on Thursday ruled in favor of the Taichung Environmental Protection Bureau in its administrative litigation against the Ministry of Environment for the rescission of a NT$18 million fine (US$609,570) imposed by the bureau on the Taichung Power Plant in 2019 for alleged excess coal power generation. The bureau in November 2019 revised what it said was a “slip of the pen” in the text of the operating permit granted to the plant — which is run by Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) — in October 2017. The permit originally read: “reduce coal use by 40 percent from Jan.
‘SPEY’ REACTION: Beijing said its Eastern Theater Command ‘organized troops to monitor and guard the entire process’ of a Taiwan Strait transit China sent 74 warplanes toward Taiwan between late Thursday and early yesterday, 61 of which crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait. It was not clear why so many planes were scrambled, said the Ministry of National Defense, which tabulated the flights. The aircraft were sent in two separate tranches, the ministry said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday “confirmed and welcomed” a transit by the British Royal Navy’s HMS Spey, a River-class offshore patrol vessel, through the Taiwan Strait a day earlier. The ship’s transit “once again [reaffirmed the Strait’s] status as international waters,” the foreign ministry said. “Such transits by