The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) referendum campaigns against the abolition of the death penalty and martial law are designed to deceive the public and shift focus away from the ongoing recall movement, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said yesterday.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday announced that his party would launch a campaign to hold referendums opposing the abolition of the death penalty and what he said was a push toward martial law and war by the DPP.
“KMT is misleading people, saying they are fighting against martial law. Are they joking? President William Lai [賴清德] had already said Taiwan must not go back to live under martial law,” Ker told a news briefing in the legislature yesterday.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“It is the KMT who long for the past, wishing for the return of martial law in Taiwan, but they accuse Lai of wanting to do so. KMT officials are distorting the truth and continue to try to deceive the public,” he added. The purpose “is to confuse people and shift focus away from the ongoing recall movement.”
The Constitutional Court in September last year ruled that capital punishment is valid in some murder cases, he said, adding that judicial authorities had administered the death sentence in January for a convicted murderer.
“So, it is very clear that capital punishment is still on the books, but the KMT still wants to push this referendum,” he said.
Separately, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) said Chu last month declared that KMT legislators would focus on bills concerning people’s livelihood, economy and social welfare programs.
“But now, they are taking up efforts and resources to push for these two non-existent issues,” Wu said.
Some legal experts said the KMT’s proposals could not be valid, as the government did not abolish capital punishment or impose martial law.
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