Print

Mail

wiki links

Diplomats urge absentee voting for overseas officials

Retired diplomats yesterday called on the legislature to pass an amendment allowing government officials stationed abroad to cast absentee votes.

"The right of participation in politics is a basic human right. As a democratic country ruled by law, we should not deprive people of the right given them by the Constitution," said Chen Chien-jen (程建人), the country's former de facto ambassador to the US.

Chen made the remarks in a hearing held by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Su Chi (蘇起).

Su introduced an amendment to the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Law (總統副總統選舉罷免法) and another one to the Public Service Election and Recall Law (公職人員選舉罷免法) to establish an absentee voting mechanism for officials working abroad.

"I had proposed a similar idea 17 years ago and it's pitiful that we haven't made any progress until now. While many people might think it's troublesome and difficult to implement an absentee voting system, I believed we can make it [work], as long as we show a desire to do so," Chen said.

People opposing absentee voting have expressed four main concerns -- turnout abroad could influence the outcome of elections, absentee voters might have double nationality, China could interfere in the voting and absentee votes might be tampered with while they are being posted back to the country, Su said.

"However, there is no need to worry about these problems if the absentee voting system is only open to governmental officials working abroad," Su said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that approximately 1,000 government officials are posted abroad -- less than 3,000 if family members are included.

The hearing was attended by lawmakers across party lines.
This story has been viewed 1322 times.