The People First Party's (PFP) draft cross-strait peace bill and the Taiwan Solidarity Union's (TSU) draft anti-invasion peace bill passed a preliminary review at the legislature's Home and Nations Committee yesterday, but most of the bills' articles were put aside because of sharp differences of opinion.
The parties agreed to talks to address differences on the contentious articles before sending them to the plenary legislative session for second and third readings.
The TSU's 11-article anti-invasion peace bill states that Taiwan has existed alongside China since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and that any change to the status quo or any action to strip the nation of its sovereignty would not be tolerated by Taiwanese or the international community.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUN, TAIPEI TIMES
The draft also says that the government should call a referendum and amend the Constitution to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty if the cross-strait status quo is threatened. The government could also use "non-peaceful" means to resist China's annexation, the draft states.
The PFP argued that it was not necessary to enact the law because existing legislation has similar provisions. It also said that the use of the word "Taiwan" rather than the official national title in the bill was bound to cause confusion and controversy.
But they praised the TSU's patriotism and its attempt to enact the law.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) proposed an additional paragraph to the bill, which stated that the government must obtain more weapons for the sake of national security.
Calling the PFP's proposed negotiation committee in its cross-strait peace bill a "monster," TSU Legislator David Huang (
"It clearly encroaches on the president's constitutional authority to set cross-strait policy as well as the executive authority of the Mainland Affairs Council," Huang said. "I'd very much like to know what they plan to do when the president's decision clashes with those made by the council."
DPP Legislator Huang Chao-hui (
Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀), the head of the PFP policy research department, however, said that establishing the council was necessary because the Mainland Affairs Council and its "white glove," the Straits Exchange Foundation, were no longer competent to handle cross-strait affairs.
According to the bill, a 17-member council must be established and several "peace ambassadors" must be elected among council members to conduct cross-strait negotiations and address 11 cross-strait policy issues.
They include signing an agreement about direct transportation links, the establishment of a demilitarized zone, the inking of an accord to protect China-based Taiwanese businesspeople, the setting up of a cross-strait free trade zone, the holding of a cross-strait summit and the signing of a peace accord with China.
Decisions arrived at by council members and "peace ambassadors" would be legally binding, and council members would be appointed by political parties in proportion to representation in the legislature.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS