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No defensive referendum: DPP

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate and party chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday the DPP would not support a defensive referendum aimed at seeking membership at the UN to be held alongside the March 22 presidential election.

"The DPP has no plan to push for a defensive referendum because it is controversial," Hsieh said at a press conference when asked about a report published yesterday in the Chinese-language China Times that said that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) could initiate a defensive referendum.

Article 17 of the Referendum Law (公民投票法) stipulates that the president may, following a resolution by the Executive Yuan, place national security matters before the public for decision in a referendum when the nation is exposed to an external threat, known as a "defensive referendum."

The China Times report quoted DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) as saying that Chen could call a defensive referendum on the UN matter to counter a plan by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to pass a legislative resolution as a substitute for the two proposed UN referendums.

The two UN referendums refer to a DPP-backed referendum on joining the UN using the name "Taiwan" and a KMT-initiated referendum on "rejoining" the UN using the name the Republic of China (ROC) or any other "practical" title that would uphold the country's dignity.

The two are scheduled to be held in tandem with the presidential election.

"There is no way that a legislative resolution could replace the UN referendums. The legislature previously passed a resolution in support of the country's bid for the WHO. That's a very good resolution, but it still differed from a referendum," Hsieh said.

Fearing that a KMT boycott of the two UN referendums would lead to the failure of both bids, Hsieh had proposed that a third referendum on joining the UN -- written in a way that was acceptable to both parties -- be held.

The KMT shrugged off the proposal and instead suggested a legislative resolution.

"My solution would avoid the possibility of failure in the two UN referendums," Hsieh said.

Earlier yesterday, KMT Central Policy Committee Director Lin Yi- shih (林益世) criticized Chen, saying that the political situation did not warrant the launching of a defensive referendum.

"Defensive referendums are not playthings of the president," he said, adding that by law, the president could only initiate defensive plebiscites when the nation faces a threat to national security.

At a separate setting, KMT caucus whip Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) said the KMT's proposal to pass a binding legislative resolution on joining the UN using the title "ROC" could solve the UN referendum dispute.

"[The seventh] legislature represents public opinion. As long as these legislators pass [a resolution] on joining or returning to the UN using the name `ROC,' we won't have to mobilize people and spend money on holding the UN referendums proposed by the DPP and the KMT," she said.

"Chen Shui-bian has become a `lame duck' and `caretaker' president. Is it reasonable for him to think of proposing a defensive referendum at this moment?" she said.
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