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Parties participate in televised debate on referendums

Supporters favoring the referendums proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) debated on TV yesterday.

The DPP has proposed a referendum seeking to force the KMT to return its stolen assets to the government, while the KMT has proposed holding a referendum on empowering the legislature to investigate the president and other top-level government officials regarding corruption allegations.

Explaining the DPP's motive in initiating the referendum, former chairman Yu Shyi-kun said the referendum would help collect voices from the public to press the KMT to return its stolen assets and implement transitional justice.

The KMT did not participate in this part of the debate.

In the second session, KMT Legislator Lin Yi-shih (林益世) argued on behalf of the KMT's position to hold a referendum to empower the legislature to investigate top-level government officials regarding corruption allegations.

Lin said the DPP administration's misjudgment in several policies has cost taxpayers about NT$8.7 trillion (US$268 billion).

If the legislature can be given the authority to investigate, people would have one more tool to supervise the government, Lin said.

In response, Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said the judicial system can deal with corrupt individuals, provided that "sunshine bills" such as party laws, amendments to the Legislators' Conduct Act (立法委員行為法) and the Public Officials' Conflicts of Interest Prevention Act (公職人員利益衝突迴避法) are passed.
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