With the Central Election Commission (CEC) scheduled to finalize tomorrow the procedures for January's legislative election and two referendums, the pan-green and the pan-blue camps yesterday resumed their battle over whether the legislative and referendum ballots should be issued separately.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus called on the commission to adopt the consensus reached among local election commissions in the 18 cities and counties governed by the pan-blue camp, which backed the separate issuance of ballots.
KMT caucus whip Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) told a press conference that following meetings on Oct. 26 and last Friday, the 18 local commissions had reached an agreement "to ensure that the voting procedure on election day is unhindered."
"The decision by the 18 local election commissions represents the opinion of the people in those locales," Tseng said, adding that residents in these districts account for 70.36 percent of the nation's population.
Tseng showed a joint declaration made by the speakers of 25 cities and county councils supporting the local commissions' position.
"To ensure order and impartiality in the elections, we fully support the conclusion reached by the heads of the 18 pan-blue-governed cities and counties that we should have separate legislative and referendum ballots," as was the case in the 2000 election, the statement said.
Two referendums, one sponsored by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on retrieving the KMT's "stolen assets" and another by the KMT on giving the legislature the power to investigate the president, the vice president, their family members and subordinates for corruption, will be held alongside the legislative election on Jan. 12.
To simplify the voting process, some CEC members have proposed a "one-step voting" process whereby the election and referendum ballots would be handed to voters at the entrance to the polling stations and voters would cast the ballots together.
Pan-blue politicians maintain that a "two-step voting" process should be used, whereby voters first cast their legislative election ballots before receiving and casting their referendum ballots.
Both sides believe that the manner in which the ballots are issued will have an impact on the result of the legislative election and the referendums.
Ten DPP legislators said on Tuesday that the CEC should use the same ballot for the referendums and the legislative election.
Tseng, however, threatened to sue the CEC for malfeasance should it accept the DPP legislators' suggestion, adding that their proposal violates the Election and Recall Law of Civil Servants (公務人員選舉罷免法).
Meanwhile, several DPP legislators yesterday said the KMT's continued opposition to the simultaneous issuance of ballots was a means to protect the KMT's "stolen assets."
"I don't understand. We are trying to make things easier, but they insist on making things more complicated," said DPP Legislator Jao Yung-ching (趙永清) during a press conference at the party's legislative caucus office yesterday morning.
Jao, along with legislators Kao Chien-chih (高建智) and Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇), said the KMT's policy was an attempt to derail the referendum and thereby allow it retain its "stolen assets."
Tien said the DPP proposal to issue the ballots simultaneously follows in the steps of the most advanced counties in the world.
"The KMT's policy really confuses us. We should move forward, not backward," Tien said.
DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) said the presidential election and referendum in 2004 had cost close to NT$100 million (US$3.1 million) and that he did not understand why the KMT would want a repeat.
"Why would the KMT oppose an idea that would save us money," Lee said.
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man