Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus whip Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) said yesterday that the decision to hold the UN bid referendum in tandem with the March 22 presidential election was meant to reduce administrative costs and did not represent an attempt to "swindle votes."
Yeh made the comments in response to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus whip Kuo Su-chun's (郭素春) accusation on Friday that the DPP was seeking to garner more votes for DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) by holding the referendum and presidential election simultaneously.
The Central Election Commission said on Friday that two referendums -- one initiated by the DPP on applying to join the UN using the name "Taiwan" and one by the KMT on rejoining the international body using the name "Taiwan," "Republic of China," or "any other practical and flexible" title -- would be held alongside the presidential poll.
In response, Kuo said the KMT was preparing countermeasures and that the party would make a final decision on the matter before the first session of the new legislature opens on Feb. 22.
Speaking to the media yesterday, Yeh said that although the KMT has an overwhelming majority in the new legislature, which gives it the power "to do whatever it wants," she hoped the party would remember that UN membership was the desire of Taiwanese.
The KMT should "respect the will of the people" and not oppose the referendums, she said.
Last month, the KMT boycotted two referendums -- one self-initiated vote on providing the legislature with the power to investigate government corruption and the other initiated by the DPP on recovering KMT stolen assets -- that were held in tandem with the legislative elections.
Both referendums were invalidated, with only a quarter of voters participating.
Yeh said that holding the UN referendum alongside the presidential election was not the key issue.
"The issue that is of the greatest importance is that entering the UN is the will of the majority of Taiwanese," she said, adding that the KMT should tread with caution before deciding to oppose -- or once again call for a boycott of -- the UN referendums.
At a separate setting yesterday, KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
Ma criticized the CEC, accusing it of serving as an electoral tool of the DPP government.
He said that he would respect the KMT's decision on whether or not to boycott the referendums.
KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) said yesterday that the party was against holding the plebiscites simultaneously with the presidential poll, but had yet to decide on whether to boycott the bids.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MO YAN-CHIH
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
RSS