Two DPP lawmakers unveiled the party's plan for referendum legislation yesterday, one day after the pan-blue parties vowed to accelerate passage of a referendum law.
"The party will launch a special squad next week to push for the referendum legislation. Meanwhile, DPP members will visit their opposition counterparts and urge each party to conclude a draft bill that they are to present at the extraordinary session at an early date," DPP Legislator Chen Chin-de (陳金德) said.
Chen said the party's stance contains four points.
"The law, either to be called the referendum law or the initiative and referendum law, is unnecessary to cope with issues that will involve a change of sovereignty," Chen said of the first point.
A referendum conducted under the auspices of the referendum law must not deal with constitutional amendments, he said.
This point was made because the Constitution trumps any statutory referendum result, Chen said.
But he said that his party believes a referendum on legislative reform may be an exception to this condition. Chen said a referendum on legislative reform is the party's third point.
"The ruling party believes that a referendum to express people's desire for legislative reform should greatly help the government attain the goal of reforming the legislature, which includes halving the number of seats and overhauling the electoral system," Chen said.
The party's fourth point, Chen said, is that a framework should be developed for holding an advisory referendum.
While Chen announced the DPP's four points in a press conference yesterday, his fellow DPP Legislator Jao Yung-ching (
"Referendum legislation cannot be completed in haste since lawmakers need to engage in comprehensive studies and research on referendum practice before formulating the law," said Jao, a longtime supporter of referendum legislation.
Jao said the DPP will present a final draft bill as its version for the extraordinary legislative session. Four draft bills, including one drafted by the Executive Yuan and three from lawmakers, were presented from the ruling party so far.
"The final one will base upon ideas presented by the Executive Yuan," Jao said at yesterday's news conference.
Jao said he was worried about the oppositions' vow to finalize the law next month and implement a referendum in August.
"The pan-blue lawmakers' rush hardly persuades me that they are aware of the importance of drafting the referendum law," Jao said.
According to pan-blue lawmakers, the DPP is using the referendum issue to further its presidential campaign.
KMT Legislator Huang Teh-fu (黃德福) said by holding referendums in August, ahead of the presidential election, the DPP will be held to account for the result.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan