20031026

Experts slam pan-blue referendum plan

CONSERVATIVE: KMT and PFP proposals for plebescites are unique because they seek to bar from eligibility those issues which were of the utmost national importance

By Fiona Lu

STAFF REPORTER

The pan-blue camp's draft referendum bill was slammed yesterday as half-hearted because it was weighed down by restrictions impeding its usefulness.

"The pan-blue parties showed hesitation toward referendums by way of drafting the referendum bill with lots of restrictions," said Hsu Yung-ming an assistant research fellow in politics at the Academia Sinica.

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) alliance released a draft of their version of a referendum law Thursday, in response to the pan-green camp's campaign for referendum legislation and a new constitution.

According to the draft, referendums could only be called as a result of popular ballot initiatives, they should not take place at the time of presidential elections and no referendum could be called on constitutional matters such as changing the nation's flag, name or the designation of its territory.

"The restriction to ballot initiatives, the separation of a referendum from a presidential election and the exclusion of issues involving constitutional discussion revealed show the pan-blue parties are nervous about the impact of referendums on themselves and local politics," Hsu said.

Ruling out constitutional issues from being subject to referendums meant that exactly the kind of high-level, highly divisive issues that popular democracy in the form of referendums might be used to resolve had been placed out of bounds, Hsu said.

The result would be that only low-level issues would be eligible.

"Referendums would be restricted to debates on public policy discussions. And a referendum only for a low-level political issue would be hardly draw in voters, especially if it came up on a different date to a presidential election," Hsu said.

The pro-China pan-blue camp is keen to prevent any referendum on the question of reunification with China, or the desirability of adopting more Taiwan-centric national symbols, hence the exclusion in the draft of constitutional issues.

It also claims that to hold a referendum at the same time as a presidential election would be to risk political unrest.

But the restriction is widely seen as an attempt not to erode the pan-blue vote since the alliance favors the less popular side of virtually any referendum issue that has been touted so far, and is afraid that rejection of its stance on any referendum issue will also mean rejection of its candidates in the election.

The pan-blues have however said that referendums might be carried out in conjunction with legislative elections.

The draft proposal also stipulated that people could initiate a constitutional amendment by petition, which, once it succeeded in collecting sufficient signatures, would be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for approval by an ad hoc panel of lawmakers.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Cho-shui criticized the proposal, saying that the opposition parties had infringed citizens' constitutional rights by giving legislators absolute power over constitutional change.

"The KMT idea authorizes people to file a constitutional petition rather than carrying out a vote of referendum to decide whether the country wants a constitutional overhaul. The law grants lawmakers a monopoly of power over a constitutional overhaul since the Legislature has the ultimate decision over the people's petition," Lin said.

Lin said that the pan-blue proposals were unique among referendum legislation around the world in barring from eligibility precisely those issues which were of the utmost national importance.

The draft proposal, should it become law, prohibited people from making decisions via referendum on diplomatic, military or national security issues, the declaration of war or ratification of peace treaties.

The idea of referendums being separate from presidential elections was also out of the ordinary and confusing since this was a common practice in other countries.

"How could the opposition think that the nation would be at risk when a referendum comes alongside the presidential poll but no risk might come of from a referendum taking place alongside the legislative election," Lin said.

Kaohsiung gets behind referendum bid

PEOPLE POWER: Some 200,000 people came out to support democratic reforms as the DPP's southern stronghold again proved its political worth

By Lin Chieh-yu

STAFF REPORTER

"We are not trying to fight China to death, and we do not have to reflect on historical tragedies and shadows," Wang said. "We just want to urge the public to think about Taiwan's future together."

At the beginning of last night's rally, Chen presented an oversized mock constitution to signify what he said was the opening of a new chapter in the nation's democratic development.

During his speech, Chen stressed that the nation's ailments -- such disagreements over the system of government, citizens' rights and legislative structure -- can only be settled by amending the Constitution through a referendum: "The draft referendum bill recently proposed by the opposition KMT and PFP sets down too many limitations for citizens to exercise their right of direct democracy," Chen said.

Chen told the cheering crowd not to expect much from the opposition alliance, especially Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong.

"They have been lying to you for the past few years, just like they mocked our efforts to push for the birth of the Constitution when we first introduced it," Chen said. "Now they're turning around and making the same pledge."

Whipping the night crowd into a frenzy, Chen ended the rally with repeated calls to support the DPP's campaign to push for the enactment of a referendum law and the drafting of a new Constitution.

One KMT member told listeners he backed Chen's push for democratic reform: "I am the borough chief of the Shuihsien borough in Tainan City," Shen Lien-che said. "My friend and I took the day off and drove to Kaohsiung. Although we're KMT members, we hope the DPP can continue to promote democracy and create a new constitution and avoid a return to the old ways."

Earlier in the day, Vice President Annette Lu delivered the opening speech. She said that the day signified the end of three old eras, including Japan ending its regime in Taiwan on the same day in 1945, the UN terminating Taiwan's delegacy in 1971 and the Chiang dynasty ending its influence in Taiwan with the death of Madame Chiang Kai-shek.

"The end of these three eras also marks the beginning of three new eras," Lu said.

"At this point Taiwanese people should think about how to give the power back to the people, how to rebuild the relationship between the people on the two sides of the strait and how to establish a new identity for Taiwan as a country."

Marchers were divided into five groups, each led respectively by DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung, TSU Chairman Huang Chu-wen, Presbyterian Church Reverend Kao Chun-ming, leading anti-nuclear activist Shih Shin-min and Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Lin Yung-chien. The crowd, guided by huge balloons, walked 4km and gathered on the square at the intersection of Boai Road and Chihshen Road.

The climax of the event was the pep rally in the evening, headed by President Chen, Premier Yu Shyi-kun and other prominent figures.

"There are three crucial strengths that control the world, namely the nation, the market and civil society."－Lin Shen-jing, executive of the Asia NGO Forum

A regional non-governmental organization (NGO) forum held in Taipei yesterday called on the public to break through the indifference toward worldwide injustices and violence caused by highly developed capitalism and globalization.

The 2003 Asia NGO Forum, sponsored this year by Taiwan's Association for a New Society, invited NGOs from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Turkey to share their experiences in the three-day forum, which kicked off yesterday.

"There are three crucial strengths that control the world, namely the nation, the market and civil society," said Lin Shen-jing, executive of the Asia NGO Forum.

"If a nation's legal violence and the ambition of enterprises to make profits cannot be balanced out by other forces, the aftermath will jeopardize human society," he said.

"NGOs are the medium that assembles the civic society's momentum, organizing civilians to wield their influence to pin down the market and demand a more reasonable and appropriate distribution of social resources," Lin said.

The topics of this year's forum focus on four issues close to trends in worldwide development and Taiwanese society. They are education, agriculture, public health and the anti-war movement.

"The wars and diseases breaking out recently have caused a sense of insecurity in the world community," Lin said.

"The Iraq war, SARS, the World Trade Organization [WTO] and the economic recession have caused the deterioration of justice worldwide and caused human tragedies."

Therefore, Lin said, countries that were traditionally viewed as members of the developing world hope to get together to promote the NGOs' ideas that aim to create a more peaceful, just, equitable and sustainable world for future generations.

In the forum, Hong Kong's representatives will discuss the merchandization of Hong Kong's education system and interact with local educational groups about the disputes over Taiwan's educational reform.

Nick Everett, convener of Stop the War Coalition that launched an anti-war movement in Australia in March, will share the experiences and challenges of organizing the anti-war movement.

"Do not regard a NGO as a decoration, but as a critical watchdog," said Lin Cheng-hsiu, former Director of Taipei City Government's Bureau of Civil Affairs.

Next year's presidential election is less than five months away. Theoretically, splendid debates should have taken place already. But all we see is the pan-green camp playing with the Taiwan-independence issue and the pan-blue camp having no vision for running the nation. Middle-of-the-road voters have been forgotten while the two camps are paying excessive attention to their pro- and anti-independence supporters.

In the pan-green camp, a bizarre phenomenon has taken root with President Chen Shui-bian and former president Lee Teng-hui competing with each other to be the most pro-independence. If one of them raises his voice to promote independence, the other will do so in an even louder voice.

As a result, Chen's announcement to push for a new constitution in 2006 seems like nothing, compared to his latest announcement to implement the new constitution in 2008. After saying that the Republic of China (ROC) does not exist, Lee also made continuous efforts to push the envelope by saying that "China is afraid of the US, and therefore dare not attack Taiwan. Now is the best time for Taiwan to become independent."

Chen and Lee are just like the frog which blows itself up in Aesop's fables. They pretend to be naive, or to be blind to the facts. As for Chen, does a person who lacks vision and a blueprint for running the nation really have the patience and strength to push for a new constitution?

Lee, who strived to integrate the ROC and Taiwan during his 12-year presidency, has denied the ROC's existence since he stepped down in 2000, placing his hope for independence on Beijing's fear of Washington. Where are his consistency and credibility, anyway?

The pan-blue camp has displayed a lazy, rusty style. When the pan-green camp proposed "one country on each side," referendums and a new constitution, the pan-blue camp attacked its opponent for building a Republic of Taiwan. After it found that people's response to its criticism was not good, it corrected itself by claiming that the status quo of the cross-strait situation is "one country on each side," and vowed to launch referendums and amend the Constitution of the ROC once it came to power.

As for its campaign strategy of emphasizing the problems of Taiwan's economy and education reforms, no well thought-through plan or effective remedy can be seen to this day.

In fact, under globalization, all countries are facing the same problems -- such as capital outflow, decreased economic growth, increased unemployment rate, employment conflicts between local and foreign workers and agitation of ethical contradictions. Taiwan can hardly depart from this trend. Nor can this major structural change be solved by the former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government's old methods.

Perhaps the "New Middle Way" beyond Left and Right or unification and independence would be able to solve these problems better, as it advocates helping capital compete internationally while solving domestic unemployment problems; accepting foreign laborers and pacifying domestic ones; and hastening reforms to reduce the negative impact of globalization while maintaining social stability.

Ever since the late 19th century, the middle way has been repeatedly proposed in an effort to reduce confrontations between Left and Right. Political parties and voters in every country have moved toward the center and the middle way has replaced extremes.

Here though, the two camps have surprisingly abandoned median voters for their pro- or anti-independence supporters. It is indeed something unheard-of!

Within less than 24 hours, the topic of peace in the Taiwan Strait came up in two speeches made in the Australian parliament late last week. The first speech was made Thursday by US President George W. Bush, the second was made on Friday by Chinese President Hu Jintao. Ironically, the two presidents conveyed two different views on the issue.

In his address, Bush characterized the US and Australia as working with other Asian Pacific nations -- including Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore, to "keep peace [in the] the Taiwan Straits."

Interestingly, Bush failed to include China on the list of nations -- suggesting that China is implicitly understood as the "reason" that efforts must be made to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait. While Taiwan is not mentioned either, it is hard to believe anyone honestly believes that Taiwan is a threat, especially when it needs the assistance of countries such as the US to fend off Chinese threats. As a matter of fact, it is common knowledge that China's refusal to renounce the use of force against Taiwan is a ticking time bomb that poses the biggest threat to regional peace.

Bush's remarks are consistent with the reiteration of support for Taiwan he expressed to Lee Yuan-tseh, Taiwan's representative at the APEC forum and leaders' summit. The statement could be interpreted as a less-than-subtle reminder to other Asia-Pacific powers that the lurking threats to peace in Taiwan Strait is not just a problem for only a handful of countries, but a potential regional crisis with serious consequences for all members of the region.

"By serving our ideals, we also serve our interests," Bush said earlier in the same speech to the Australian parliament when talking about the "liberation" of Iraqis and Afghanis from "tyranny."

The "ideals" to which Bush referred would, of course, be democracy and freedom. "Interests" would be the containment of violence and chaos in the world. Other countries in the region, indeed the world, must be made to realize that the same is true about upholding peace in Taiwan Strait.

The difference, of course, is that Taiwan is a thriving democracy. To allow or condone Chinese military aggression against this country and the stripping away of our precious freedoms would be an affront to the very democratic ideals the US and Australia espouse.

But the murmur over Bush's appearance had barely quieted when Hu made his appearance in the Australian parliament. Far from talking about democratic ideals and liberation, Hu said that Beijing expected Canberra to play a "constructive role in China's peaceful unification."

This puts Australia in the middle of two different views and positions about the Taiwan issue. Under the circumstances, one must ask: Have the US and China both decided to open up participation in the long-standing triangular deadlock between US, China, and Taiwan?

What will other countries do if they are faced with potential Chinese aggression toward Taiwan and are asked to take sides?

Most countries want to dodge the question, since they do not see -- or do not wish to see -- the long-term implications of the rising power of a totalitarian regime such as China. And if they do see, it is not enough to make them want to do something about it.

Under the circumstances, it is sincerely hoped that more governments and countries will have the courage and the conscience shown by the European parliament, which last week again passed a resolution asking China to withdraw the missiles it has aimed at Taiwan.

Sadly, the indifference shown by most countries -- even important trading partners -- gives us little reason to feel hopeful.

The 2003 Taiwan Business Alliance Conference hosted by the Executive Yuan ended with great successes. So far, it is estimated that this year the amount of foreign investment in Taiwan will be as great as NT$ 140 billion dollars.

Moreover, the conference has facilitated the signing of 14 cooperative memorandums, and the announcement by 12 foreign firms about plans to invest in Taiwan.

For example, US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer now not only plans to increase the size of its present investments in Taiwan but also intends to spend NT$700 million to erect brand new office facilities in Tamsui. UK retailer Tesco plans to open six more stores in Taiwan, offering more than 2,000 job opportunities. Ncsoft Corp, the biggest South Korean online game company, and Access, a leading Japanese software provider, among other foreign firms, will also invest in Taiwan.

Besides multinational firms investing in Taiwan for the first time, many major firms already investing in Taiwan, such as Ericsson, have expressed their willingness and interest in enlarging their investments in Taiwan.

While some of our countrymen may give bleak forecasts for the future of Taiwan's economy, the enthusiastic investments of foreign firms indicate that the investment environment in Taiwan has not deteriorated.

Rather, it is due to its excellent investment environment that Taiwan had been able to survive the economic downturn caused by both the international economic recession and the SARS outbreak, winning the confidence and investments of foreign firms.

For example, a famous international express delivery firm, DHL, has decided to establish its regional operations center in Taipei, primarily because of Taiwan's political stability, good business environment, excellent infrastructure, and transparency in government policy implementation.

Taiwan enjoys many other strong points and advantages that are attractive to investors. For example, the geographical location of Taiwan is suitable for becoming the regional marketing and distribution center for multinational firms, especially those eyeing the Chinese market. Taiwan also currently has many internationally renowned air and sea carrier companies, which in turn can help facilitate the establishment of a supply chain.

To solicit foreign investors, the government currently offers many preferential tax treatments to them. This is not to mention the fact that the current tax rates of Taiwan are already much lower than those of many other countries.

To many firms, these are important attractions. Moreover, in many key industries, such as bio-tech, the preferential treatments extended by the government, the high performance efficiency of the related industries, the low manufacturing costs, the professional R&D capability and the protection of intellectual property rights together, make Taiwan well qualified to become an international R&D center.

The biotech firm UBI established its R&D center in Taiwan precisely because of the government's efforts in developing high-tech industries and training high-level high-tech professionals have significantly helped successful developments of the telecommunication and electronic industries. As a result of the alliances between colleges and various R&D centers, the local employees are not only capable but also professional.

The remarkable management personnel of Taiwan is another appeal for the biotech industry. UBI also believes that the rapid growth of the Asian market in the health-care and pharmaceutical industry and the past experience of cooperation between Taiwanese firms and multinational firms are conductive to the stable manufacturing and operation management capabilities of the company in Taiwan.

Further encouraged by the government's support and favorable treatment, the firm believes that Taiwan is a very suitable site for multinational firms to establish their operation centers.

Obviously, there is much to be done to upgrade Taiwan's investment environment. For example, updates and amendments of laws regulating economic development and foreign investments, so as to extend attractive packages to foreign investors are much needed.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs' efforts in this regard have already won much recognition from the firms participating in this conference. However, much more remains to be done, especially in the area of implementing these newly amended laws and regulations, upgrading the infrastructure, and importing new technologies. Particularly important to the government and businesses is the introduction and adoption of internationally accepted standards in the establishment of infrastructure and investment-related regulatory mechanisms, so as to bring them in line with the international community and improve efficiency.

Taiwan must cultivate core economic competitiveness, and to do that it must give top priority to the economy in its policy implementation. The purpose is to effectively improve the investment environment and establish a well-coordinated and comprehensive regulatory framework, as well as to market core technology, so that industries may be upgraded and achieve greater development.

Academic research indicates that currently China has surpassed the US and become the greatest buyer of Taiwan's exports, reflecting the structural change in Taiwan's export activities and increasing economic reliance on China. So, it is critical to speed up the pace of Taiwan's trade and economic liberalization, so as to give foreign investors reasons to invest in Taiwan and thereby stimulate diversified exports, leaving behind the excessive dependence on China.

At the same time, Taiwan must erect a firewall against China, so as to keep the research and technology centers of the high-tech industries in Taiwan. This will not only help Taiwan enjoy industrial competitiveness, but also decrease dependency on China and safeguard the development and security of Taiwan's economy.

In the process of globalization and regionalization, both the government and also business enterprises must come up with appropriate policies to strengthen competitiveness and avoid becoming obsolete.

In the face of increasingly fierce economic competition, especially the competition between the two sides of Taiwan Strait, we sincerely call on the government not to be self-satisfied in view of the improving economy and the success of this recent conference. It should continue to assist Taiwan to march toward the goal of being the regional R&D and operations center.

It should utilize its capital, the high quality professionals, the innovative technologies, the excellent geographical location, and remarkable administrative efficiency to successfully help Taiwan.

That way it can be the marketing and management base of multinational firms in the Asian market or the Greater China market and build a more solid foundation for Taiwan's economic development.