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KMT, PFP want referendum law

DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai, right, yesterday reminds KMT legislative caucus whip Tseng Yung-chuan to keep his party's promise after the KMT and the PFP proposed holding a special legislative session to pass a referendum law. PHOTO: YEH CHIH-MING, TAIPEI TIMES

The KMT and PFP legislative caucuses yesterday proposed holding a special session to pass a referendum law in response to President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) pledge to conduct a referendum before the presidential election next year.

"We demand to convene a provisional session to push forward legislative review for a referendum law since President Chen made it clear that he is going to hold a referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant issue at all costs," PFP legislative convener Chung Hsiao-ho (鍾紹和) said.

Chung said that the pan-blue camp filed the petition to demonstrate the opposition parties' awareness of the legislature's responsibility toward the public and history "regarding the DPP government's plan to destroy administrative legitimacy by implementing a referendum without a statutory basis."

"The two opposition party leaders instructed that the Legislative Yuan must finalize a legal procedure for referendums soon," he said.

Nevertheless, the opposition lawmakers said their version of the referendum law would be limited to issues irrelevant to the Constitution, including the nation's status.

The law would require all referendum issues to be approved by an ad hoc review committee before they are conducted, according to KMT legislative caucus whip Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), who with Chung announced the pan-blue camp's plans yesterday.

Opposition lawmakers said the extraordinary session, once approved, would review the various versions of the bill, including one drafted by DPP Legislator Trong Chai (蔡同榮).

DPP lawmakers said they would still press for a broader referendum law and criticized the opposition for trying to undermine Chen's pledge.

"The legislature has no right to formulate a law that prohibits people from carrying out their right to decide the country's fate, the sovereignty issue and modification of the Constitution through referendums," DPP Legislator Lin Cho-shui (林濁水) said.

The DPP government realized that the majority of people believed now was not the right time for a referendum on the unification issue, Lin said.

The referendum legislation should avoid declaring to what extent citizens can practice their constitutional right to decide issues through referendums, Lin said.

He reminded opposition lawmakers that most opinion polls showed that the general public believed that they held the right to make the ultimate decision on significant national issues.

"A referendum law barring people from realizing their constitutional rights, such as demanding constitutional reform, would give the false appearance of democratic advancement," Lin warned.

The DPP lawmakers said they would participate in the review of the bill and that they hoped the pan-blue camp would stick to its promise of progressing with the legislation.

"The opposition has been paradoxical over the referendum legislation many times. The pan-blue presidential candidates should realize that they will be saying farewell to the presidency if their parties fail to stick to their promises this time," DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said.

TSU lawmakers expressed their endorsement for the referendum legislation.
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