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Campaign Special ( Referendum ) - Cabinet to pursue better relations with China

Despite the failure of the referendum, the Cabinet yesterday pledged to launch measures to push for equal and reciprocal relations across the Taiwan Strait.

"Our first priority is to continue to maintain cross-strait stability and gradually push for equal and reciprocal relations across the Taiwan Strait," according to a press release made available by the Cabinet last night after the Central Election Commission made public the referendum results.

In the referendum, voters were asked whether the nation should strengthen its defenses in the face of China's missile threat and whether Taiwan should hold talks with Beijing to establish a peaceful and stable framework for cross-strait interactions.

Some 7.45 million people, or 45.17 percent of eligible voters, cast ballots for the first question, shy of the 50 percent mark needed to make the referendum valid.

For the second question, on relations with China, 7.44 million votes were cast, or 45.12 percent of eligible voters.

As the government's stance to pursue sound interaction across the Taiwan Strait has not changed, the statement said, the Cabinet would like to see China work to create a peaceful and stable environment for Taiwan for the sake of the peoples on both sides of the Strait.

Although the country's first national referendum failed, the statement said, the result did not necessarily mean that the public opposed the referendum itself or the two referendum questions.

"The end of the election is the beginning of unification [of the Taiwanese people] and reconstruction," the statement said. "We believe President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) will realize all his campaign promises during his second four-year term and build a better and more beautiful future for all Taiwanese people and the generations to come," it said.

The statement added that Chen's victory proved that the public recognized the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) policies and accomplishments and that the people hope to see Chen continue to lead the country and push for reforms.

"Under the leadership of President Chen, we, the Cabinet, hereby vow to continue to push for reforms in a bid to make the nation more prosperous and affluent," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Examination Yuan President Yao Chia-wen (陳水扁) pledged to continue administrative reform efforts.

"The presidential election has set a standard for administrative neutrality for civil servants," he said. "During the previous Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] administration, government agencies often used public resources to campaign for party candidates and individual civil servants also frequently canvassed votes for KMT candidates during office hours."

Since the DPP came to power in 2000 in the nation's first-ever transition of power, Yao said, the DPP administration has spared no effort to push for administrative reform, with priority being given to political neutrality.

Throughout the campaign, Yao said, the government has not used national resources to finance the DPP's campaign activities.

"Moreover, all civil servants have refrained from campaigning for party candidates during office hours," he said. "This marks an encouraging progress in administrative reform."

Yao added that the Examination Yuan, which is responsible for the nation's civil service, will continue to push for administrative neutrality and other reforms to improve efficiency.

The Examination Yuan oversees examinations for civil servants as well as qualification screening, security of tenure, pecuniary aid in case of death, and retirement.
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