Former Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) secretary-general C.V. Chen (陳長文) yesterday announced that he and former presidential office deputy secretary-general Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) are going to establish the Anti-Obstruction of Justice Referendum Alliance, with former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) onboard to push for a referendum to protect judicial independence and Taiwan’s rule of law.
In a press release issued through Lo, Chen said Lo would be the alliance’s chief executive, while he would serve as its convener
Ma has also agreed to his invitation to be the leading proposer of an “anti-obstruction of justice” referendum, said Chen, a lawyer who also served as president of the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China.
He said the proposed referendum states: “Do you agree that attempts by the president, legislators, Control Yuan members, high-level civil servants and leaders of the Judicial and Executive Yuan to directly or indirectly achieve favorable or unfavorable sentences or punishments for their own legal cases, or the legal cases of others by coercing, threatening, influencing or engaging in other illegal behavior toward members of the judiciary should be punished by law?”
Newly appointed Control Yuan member Chen Shih-meng’s (陳師孟) threatening remarks about the judiciary show that Taiwan’s rule of law and judicial independence are already under threat, C.V. Chen said.
Nothing can be expected from the Legislative Yuan since the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) holds a majority of seats, so there is no choice but to hold a referendum to give the public a chance to voice its opinion, he said.
Hopefully, the referendum could be held alongside the mayoral and county commissioner elections at the end of the year, he said.
That would mean the schedule for getting a referendum on the issue approved would be tight, but he would do his best to achieve it, he said.
C.V. Chen had contacted Ma about establishing an alliance and pushing for a law to cover of a “crime against the obstruction of justice,” Ma’s office said.
Ma has always agreed the idea that Taiwan’s judiciary should be just, independent and unaffected by political influences, the office said.
Ma agreed to participate in the signature drive for the referendum as a way of urging the Ministry of Justice to carry out the conclusion from the National Congress on Judicial Reform that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) organized last year as soon as possible and propose relevant amendments to the Legislative Yuan, the office said.
Given Ma’s status as a former president, C.V. Chen had asked Ma to be the leading proposer of the referendum, and Ma respects and is thankful for his good intentions, Ma’s office said.
However, Chen Shih-meng rejected criticism that his words or actions could threaten the nation’s judiciary.
The proposed referendum to be led by Ma is “very good,” but it would be best if the principle allowing for “penalty without a law” was added to the main text of the referendum and the punishment was increased, especially for presidents, the Control Yuan member said.
If such a principle were included in the referendum proposal, he would encourage everyone to vote “yes” in the referendum and do so himself, he said.
Chen Shih-meng said he was not bothered by the idea that the referendum might be aimed at him and it would not affect his investigations as a Control Yuan member.
Additional reporting by Chung Li-hua
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by