The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday sued 12 members of the referendum review committee, accusing them of misconduct over their rejection of a TSU-initiated referendum last week.
Leading a number of party officials to the Taipei District Court yesterday to press charges against the committee members, TSU Secretary-General Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉) said that their verdict was invalid, as it surpassed the review committee’s jurisdiction.
The TSU’s application requested a referendum on the question: “Do you agree that the government should sign an economic cooperation framework agreement [ECFA] with China?”
It was rejected by the review committee 12 to 4 on the grounds that the question and its content were in contradiction with each other.
The TSU has alleged that the ruling is invalid, citing an earlier decision by the Central Election Commission (CEC), which said there were no contradictions in the text. The TSU has also made public official notices from the Executive Yuan saying that only the CEC is capable of making such decisions. In response to the TSU’s criticism at the time, CEC Secretary-General Teng Tien-yu (鄧天祐) said on Sunday that both the CEC and the review committee had the authority to review a referendum proposal.
In a statement released yesterday, TSU Chairperson Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) called the committee’s decision illegal, adding that history would judge the committee members.
“This decision by the referendum review committee is an attack on Taiwan’s democracy. It has caused Taiwan irreparable harm,” Huang said. “Committee members should immediately reopen their decision on the referendum proposal ... The people of Taiwan are watching them and history will judge them.”
The TSU has vowed to begin a new referendum proposal aimed at phasing out the review committee, which Huang said places “a limit on Taiwan’s democracy.”
The TSU’s planned new referendum proposal drew criticism from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers, who called for the party to respect the review committee’s decision.
“The TSU should stop making so much noise; it shouldn’t try to become Taiwan’s farce,” KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) said.
KMT candidates for Taipei City councilor also led 12 protesters outside the Taipei District Court yesterday, shouting that they “support the referendum review committee,” and that it should continue to “reject the referendum proposal.”
To prevent scuffles from taking place, the TSU and the KMT groups were separated by a contingent of Taipei City police.
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