The Republic of China (ROC) Constitution could serve as a basis for the development of domestic consensus and ending partisan bickering, even if people do not agree with everything in the Constitution, former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday.
“I am making this proposal because the Constitution is the foundation of a sovereign and independent country,” Hsieh said at a press conference held to informally promote his recently published book Taiwan Next (不一樣的台灣).
The Constitution offers a platform that includes such constitutional essentials as freedom and equality, Hsieh said, adding that these could provide an “overlapping consensus” that different political parties could accept.
Photo: CNA
That did not mean everyone has to agree with everything in the ROC Constitution, because people were always going to find things to disagree about, he said.
“In Taiwan’s case, it could be the territory of the ROC. In Japan’s case, it could be Article 9 [which prohibits maintaining an armed force with the ability to make war]. However, we do need a starting point for domestic political dialogue,” Hsieh said.
In his book, Hsieh proposes replacing the so-called “1992 consensus,” which he said should not be the only vehicle for the promotion of cross-strait ties, with a constitutional consensus.
“One China with different interpretations” could be replaced by “constitutions with different interpretations,” Hsieh added.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) says the “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit agreement reached in 1992 between Taiwan and China on the “one China, with each side having its own interpretation” concept, which it says promotes the development of cross-strait relations.
The DPP rejects the notion that any such consensus exists.
The KMT won the presidential election on Jan. 14 by transforming the political factors that underpin cross-strait relations into economic factors — a tactic designed to cover up its poor record of governance, Hsieh said.
The five-man race in the election for a new DPP chairperson on May 27 was “a healthy development,” Hsieh said, adding that there was no clear-cut frontrunner for the position.
Hsieh, 65, who has been hosting a weekly radio talk show since losing the 2008 presidential election, is scheduled to interview all five candidates, starting tomorrow with former Tainan county commissioner Wu Huan-chih (蘇煥智).
Hsieh, who served as DPP chairperson from 2000 to 2002, said he had no desire to run for the chairmanship again.
Meanwhile, he has scheduled a press conference for today to address the recently announced electricity price increases.
The KMT has said electricity prices must go up now because of Hsieh’s decision to freeze price during his tenure as premier from February 2005 to January 2006.
The KMT had deliberately misconstrued his policy, which demanded that Taiwan Power Co lower its reserve capacity rate from 20 percent to 16 percent, which would have allowed the company to cut costs while prices remained the same, Hsieh said.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
RSS