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PFP asks court to block DPP's referendum campaign

The People First Party (PFP) yesterday filed an administrative lawsuit asking the court to issue a preliminary injunction against the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) campaign to hold a referendum on whether the nation should apply to the UN using the name "Taiwan."

The PFP also filed an administrative lawsuit against the Cabinet, demanding that it overturn a decision made by its Appeal Committee, which overturned the Referendum Review Committee's rejection of the referendum proposal.

The appeal committee's ruling meant that the DPP could proceed with a second-stage petition once the Central Election Commission has verified the authenticity of 90,000 signatures collected in the first stage of the application to hold a referendum.

"The PFP is not against direct democracy," PFP Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) told a press conference yesterday. "What we are against is the DPP's plan to pursue `de jure Independence' in the name of direct democracy."

The PFP lawmaker said the DPP's UN referendum was a bid for "de jure independence" because "the issue of changing the country's name is involved in the [DPP's] proposal."

Chang said the PFP supported the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) proposal to hold a referendum on the country's bid without specifying the name "Taiwan" be used.

The KMT proposal would ask the public whether the government should apply for membership in the UN and other international organizations using "a practical name and flexible strategy," which the KMT said would increase the chances of being accepted.

KMT Legislator Su Chi (蘇起) said separately yesterday that the US did not oppose the KMT's proposal for a referendum because "the proposal has nothing to do with `de jure independence.'"

"The DPP's proposal is to change the nation's name, but our proposal is merely about the nation's re-entry into the UN. According to my understanding, no one from the US has expressed opposition to this," Su said.

In related news, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said yesterday the rejection of the nation's application by the UN Secretary-General's Office would not stop the nation from eventually joining the UN.

"In order to defend the nation's dignity and sovereignty, we will continue to fight this `holy war,'" she said. "Holding a referendum is only one of the options. What is more important is to win a battle in terms of an international lawsuit."

On Monday, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) sent a request to the UN that Taiwan be granted membership at the body under the name "Taiwan."

In a separate setting yesterday, KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) condemned the UN for rejecting the nation's application, adding that his party would adopt a "flexible" approach to push for Taiwan's return to the body.

"The application for UN membership is legitimate and deserves the public's full support. The UN Secretariat should not have rejected the application," Ma said.

Ma said the 23 million citizens of Taiwan deserved a representative at the UN to protect their rights.

"International relations and cross-strait relations are equally important ... The KMT will continue the effort to rejoin the UN with flexibility," he said.
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