Fri, Dec 26, 2003 page3

• Lin I-hsiung pushes reforms

  PLEA FOR HELP The former DPP chairman visited the party's headquarters to urge his former comrades to speed up legislative reforms and make Taiwan nuclear free

  • By Chang Yun-ping / STAFF REPORTER
  • • 
    • 
    • 

  Former Democratic Progressive Party chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) yesterday urged political parties of all stripes to speed up legislation to cut the number of legislative seats to 113 and to reinforce the government's resolution to build a "nuclear-free homeland."

  Lin, who has made fewer public appearances since leaving his post as DPP chairman in 2000, pressed the legislature to reduce the number of lawmakers from 225 to 113, instead of the DPP-proposed 150.

  Lin visited DPP headquarters on Wednesday to call for legislative reform and to advocate an anti-nuclear policy, two of the DPP's core policy planks.

  He said the DPP has the responsibility to carry out the two policies so as not to undermine its credibility.

  Lin's cause has won the endorsement of DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), who agrees that the number of lawmakers should be reduced to 113. Chang, however, said plans to review the number of seats should be approved by the party's highest decision-making body, the Central Standing Committee.

  Lin supported the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) proposal to halve the number of legislative seats to 113, saying, "The KMT's insistence is correct. If the DPP insists on reducing the seats to 150, it would be a taunt to the party as it can't even do the math.

  "As long as the policy means well, we should support it no matter which party proposes it," he said, adding, "I will meet with KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) on Monday to ask for his support.

  "As long as the KMT supports the bill, it would greatly smooth the legislation process for the proposed legislative reform task as the pan-blue alliance holds the majority of seats in the legislature," Lin said.

  He said the legislature can sort out the difficulties as the threshold to slash the number of lawmakers needs the approval of at least 75 percent of legislators.

  Lin said the downsizing is an urgent matter and said the legislature now focuses on too many trivial affairs, undermining legislative efficiency in monitoring government policy.

  "Lawmakers often call in the premier and heads of Cabinet departments to question trivial matters. This will eventually topple the government," Lin said, referring to the constant feuding between lawmakers and government officials.

  Lin, a longtime anti-nuclear activist and the head of the Nuclear [Plant] 4 Referendum Initiative Association (核四公投促進會), also urged the ruling and opposition parties to respect the government's resolution on building "a nuclear-free homeland" and to hold a referendum on whether to continue construction on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

  Lin recently met with Lien to appeal for support of the referendum. The KMT responded by saying it would neither support nor oppose such a referendum.

  Lin said that, as the newly passed Referendum Law has numerous restrictions, including one on the fate of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) should to stick to his promise of holding such a referendum as scheduled on election day next year.

  The nuclear-free homeland promotion resolution, passed by the Legislative Yuan in early 2001 after Chen was forced to a compromise to continue construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, serves as a cross-party consensus on the government's long-term goal to eliminate the use of nuclear power.

  Since then, Lin has led the campaign to hold a referendum on the fate of the plant.
• Most Popular

  • 1

    PSG crush Inter to win trophy

  • 2

    Alcaraz struggles to 4th round in Paris

  • 3

    Panthers secure return to Stanley Cup Finals

  • 4

    Second group of Hong Kong democrats freed after 4 years in jail

  • 5

    Taiwanese wins Roland Garros opener