While pro-independence figures promoted the making of a new constitution as the way to rectify Taiwan's name yesterday, man Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politicians preferred amending the existing Constitution to the same purpose.
The dispute emerged during a symposium on the creation of a new constitution held by the Taiwan Association of University Professors (TAUP) yesterday, and highlighted the conflict between the DPP and Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) on the issue.
"Taiwanese people are entitled to the right to initiate the creation of a new constitution, but this right is not completely unrestricted. A new constitution cannot go against the facts and the spirit the country has been founded upon," Control Yuan President Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) said.
"Although it may be nice to make a new constitution as soon as possible, we have to consider the feasibility of that," Yao said.
DPP Legislator Lin Chung-mo (林重謨) defended the feasibility idea of amending the current Constitution to realize the pan-greens' independence agenda.
"When we consider whether to adopt a new constitution or amend the existing Constitution to fit our purposes, we should first consider whether the two methods head in the same direction," Lin said.
Lin, who participated in the symposium as a member of the audience, spoke up during the question-and-answer session.
"It doesn't matter whether we travel by train or by plane, as long as we are going to the same destination. It would be silly if we started to fighting before we reached to the destination," Lin said, describing the difference between creation of a new constitution and amending the current Constitution.
Lin acknowledged the difference of opinion between the DPP and TSU, noted that both parties were working toward the same end and should not fight each other.
But Chang-qing (曹長青), a writer participating in the symposium, disagreed with Lin, insisting that the creation of a new constitution was the only real solution.
"We definitely have to travel by plane in this case. What happens with Chinese people is that when we choose to travel by rail, we often end up being downgraded to bicycles," Cao said.
"When the Taiwanese people amend the Constitution, they are amending the Constitution of the Republic of China. But when they write a new Constitution, they will be writing Taiwan's own constitution," Cao said.
Cao's opinion is an extension from the opening speech given by World United Formosans for Independence, Chairman Ng Chiau-tong (黃昭堂).
"When the current Constitution of Republic of China was written, Taiwanese people were not involved in the process. So Taiwanese people do not have the right to amend that Constitution, but we have the right to make our own," Ng said.
Ng later explained that the campaign for a new constitution initiated by former president Lee Teng-hui (
"Name rectification would be the concrete realization of the constitution-making campaign," Ng said.
Ng also pointed out that now the TSU was enthusiastic about making of a new Constitution while the DPP was not.
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