Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chen Zau-nan (陳昭南) yesterday submitted a petition demanding that the party freeze the Taiwanese independence clause in its party charter in the upcoming party congress, which he said would help the DPP regain power.
The petition called for freezing the first article of the party charter, usually known as the Taiwanese independence clause, which calls for the “establishment of an independent sovereignty known as the Republic of Taiwan.”
The petition received more than 40 signatures, 20 of which came from party representatives.
Photo: Chen Hui-ping, Taipei Times
Chen said he had made the same proposal in 2000, adding that Taiwan was already an independent sovereignty under the name of the Republic of China and its future should be decided by its 23 million residents.
The clause had fulfilled its purpose and the DPP has no need to further push Taiwanese independence, Chen said.
The move would improve the party and the nation, Chen said, adding that the cross-strait issue should not be an obstacle barring the DPP from returning to power and keeping the KMT in power.
DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) knew nothing of the proposal until he brought it up yesterday, Chen said, adding that although he could not advance the issue as he was not a national party representative, he would continue to push the proposal.
DPP Legislator Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said freezing the clause would have no real meaning, adding that the Resolution on Taiwan’s Future (台灣前途決議文) had in large part superseded the Taiwanese independence clause.
DPP legislators Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) and Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) both disagreed with the proposal to freeze the clause, with Chen Chi-mai saying that the clause formed part of the basic tenet of the DPP charter and represented the values and the spirit of the party.
Lee said the clause was a precious historic article and there was no need to freeze it because the spirit of the resolution was accepted by party members and by the international community.
National Cheng Chi University professor Tung Chen-yuan (童振源), one of the petition’s drafters, said the clause had become an obstacle to the DPP, and resolving the issue depended on the determination and willingness of Tsai Ing-wen.
The clause is detrimental to Taiwan, Tung said, adding that even if the DPP were willing to implement the clause, it lacks the power to do so in the near future because ratifying the Constitution requires the support of three-quarters of the Legislative Yuan.
Freezing the clause would be a step toward unifying Taiwan’s consensus on cross-strait issues, Tung said.
Meanwhile, student activist leader Chen Wei-ting (陳為廷) spoke against the freeze on Facebook, saying it would be an illogical move and like an ostrich burying its head in the sand in response to danger.
If the DPP were to agree to the freeze, it would need to brace itself to be replaced as the main opposition party, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A signaling system malfunction disrupted high-speed rail (HSR) services beginning at 8am today, with trains temporarily reduced to three northbound and three southbound trains per hour as authorities conduct inspections. The malfunction occurred on a section of track in Miaoli County during pre-operation checks early this morning, forcing northbound and southbound trains to use a single track, the HSR operator said. The regular schedule has been replaced with three hourly trains offering only nonreserved seating in each direction, stopping at every station, it said, adding that business class cars would still have reserved seating. Departures from terminal stations are scheduled at the top
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
RSS