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Parties bicker over referendum ballots

The dispute over the nation's UN bid continued yesterday, with the pan-green and pan-blue camps arguing over whether UN referendum ballots should be handed out simultaneously or separately from the presidential ballot during elections next year.

Both the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) referendum proposal to apply for UN membership under the name "Republic of China" or another "practical" title and the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) proposal to apply for UN entry using the name "Taiwan" have yet to complete the second stage of their respective signature drives for the proposals to be approved in time for the presidential election in March.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has yet to make a decision on how the UN referendum should be held.

However, both camps have expressed concerns over the manner in which the UN referendum ballot should be issued to voters as they believe it could have an impact on the outcome of the election.

With the DPP likely to obtain approval for its UN referendum in time for the presidential election, the pan-blue camp maintains that issuing the presidential and referendum ballots simultaneously could cause confusion. The pan-green camp contends that it would lessen the burden on polling station personnel.

If the two ballots are handed out separately, voters will first cast the ballot for the presidential election and then the ballot for the UN referendum.

The same method was used in the 2004 presidential election.

If the two ballots are handed out simultaneously, voters will cast the ballots in separate boxes.

KMT Legislator Hsu Shao-ping (徐少萍) told a press conference yesterday that the procedure for next year's referendum should follow that of the referendum in 2004.

Such a voting procedure was "clear" and "impartial" and made it easier for polling stations to maintain order, she said.

KMT Legislator Diane Lee (李慶安) said that if the two ballots were issued simultaneously, people who wish to vote in the presidential election only would be compelled to pick up referendum ballots as well.

Lee said the DPP could manipulate the CEC into adopting a measure to the DPP's advantage to boost turnout for its proposed UN referendum and the DPP's electoral performance.

KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday criticized the CEC's rumored intention to combine the DPP's UN referendum and the presidential election as ridiculous and urged the government not to abuse government resources for electoral purposes.

"They are possessed by the devil. The move is absolutely ridiculous," Ma said during a visit in Hualien County.

Asked for comments, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said: "It would be better for the ruling party and the opposition to reach a consensus on the rules of the game ... The rule should satisfy everyone."

DPP caucus whip Wang Tuoh (王拓) said that issuing the two ballots simultaneously could save on personnel and costs.

Wang Tuoh said that during the referendum in 2004, many people did not know they could vote in the referendum and that as a result their voices were not heard.

Meanwhile, CEC Secretary-General Teng Tien-yu (鄧天佑) said yesterday the commission would convene a meeting next week to discuss how to hand out ballots in the DPP's proposed "KMT's stolen party assets recovery" referendum and the legislative elections ballots on Jan. 12.

"To simplify the procedure, some commission members have proposed issuing both legislative election and referendum ballots at the same time," Teng said. "However, no decision will be made until the meeting next Friday."

Teng denied any political consideration in the commission's decision-making process, saying: "As a government body in charge of elections ... convenience for voters is our sole consideration."

Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang, Mo Yan-chih and CNA
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