The attitudes of pan-green and pan-blue supporters toward the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) the government wants to sign with China and renegotiation of a agreement with the US on US beef imports were likely to be as polarized as their political beliefs, a poll expert said yesterday.
Tsai Chia-hung (蔡佳泓), an associate research fellow at National Chengchi University’s Election Study Center, said his study showed that pan-blue supporters were likely to support an ECFA and oppose holding new rounds of negotiations on the relaxation of restrictions on US beef and beef products. Their position on the two issues, however, would not be as firm as their pan-green counterparts, Tsai said.
Pan-green supporters, on the other hand, were likely to harbor opposition to signing an ECFA and support a referendum on whether to hold renegotiations on US beef, he said.
The Consumers’ Foundation is in the second phase of a signature drive after the Cabinet’s Referendum Review Committee approved their petition to mount a referendum on whether to hold renegotiation on US beef.
REFERENDUM
As for a referendum on an ECFA, the Taiwan Solidarity Union is in the process of gathering signatures to make a case to the committee after it rejected a similar proposal initiated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) earlier this year.
Tsai said party support was imperative to the success of a referendum proposal.
The referendum on renegotiations on US beef stood a good chance of taking place because it was a health issue that received the backing of many pan-blue supporters, he said.
Tsai made the remarks while speaking at a seminar in Taipei yesterday. The one day event, entitled Democratic Reforms in Taiwan, was organized by Taiwan Thinktank. Since the Referendum Law (公民投票法) was enacted in 2003, Taiwan has held three national referendums on six different issues and one regional referendum in the outlying islands of Penghu.
ELECTIONS
Former deputy Presidential Office secretary-general Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said a referendum had a better chance of success when it was held in tandem with elections, adding that the backing of political parties was important.
Ho Tsung-hsun (何宗勳), chief executive of Citizens Congress Watch, expressed regret over political intervention in referendums, saying it set off partisan warfare between the DPP and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
One way to make the referendum on US beef renegotiations successful, he said, was to be creative in selling the issue and to canvass support in the same way as promoting a candidate for an election.
Wang Szu-wei (王思為), a professor at Nanhua University’s department of non-profit organization management, said while Taiwan is a democracy and is supposed to be governed by the rule of law, the KMT government followed “the rule off law” — implying it usually flouts the law.
Taking the example of Taipei City Government’s outstanding health care premiums, Wang said it was unbelievable to see Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) back President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on the issue even though the Supreme Administration Court ruled against the city in a final verdict.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS