Executive Yuan Secretary-General Lin Join-sane (林中森) said yesterday that he would pass the EU’s concerns over Taiwan’s policy on the death penalty to the Ministry of Justice’s task force for phasing out capital punishment.
Approached by the Taipei Times at the legislature, Lin made the comments when asked about his meeting with Guy Ledoux, head of the Taipei-based European Economic and Trade Office, on Thursday during which the two exchanged views on the issue.
“They came to see me to express their opinions on the death penalty. They hoped that we can speed up the abolition of the practice from the statutes,” Lin said.
Lin said that he told the EU representatives that the government has not set a timetable for the executions of the 44 inmates on death row.
Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫), the new justice minister, has said he will proceed with the executions after conducting a thorough review of the 44 cases in accordance with the law.
Sources, however, said government officials told the EU representatives that it would take a week or two at the earliest to review less controversial cases.
Deputy Justice Minister Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘), nominated by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) as state prosecutor-general, has also supported the executions.
Lin said that the government welcomed any opinions from the international community on the issue and respected their positions on the subject.
“They were full of good intentions. We understood that the EU opposes the death penalty and they are enthusiastic about preaching this notion. I didn’t feel any pressure,” Lin said.
Former justice minister Wang Ching-feng (王清峰) resigned on March 11 over public opposition to her anti-capital punishment stance. Wang had said that she would rather “go to hell” and “resign” than carry out death sentences during her tenure as justice minister.
The government responded by quickly approving her resignation and vowed to carry out the sentences.
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