|
CEC approves
simultaneous elections
MOVING GOALPOSTS? Critics of combined elections
say the move is ‘tailor-made’ to help the president’s re-election bid, and would
cause a protracted ‘lame duck’ period
By Lin Shu-huiand Chen Hui-ping / Staff Reporters
Police officers in riot gear
practice crowd control techniques on a parade ground at the Republic of China
Military Academy in Greater Kaohsiung yesterday, in preparation for future
elections.
Photo: Huang Chien-hua , Taipei Times
The Central Election Commission (CEC)
yesterday decided to hold the next presidential and legislative elections
together, a move likely to set a precedent in which there would be a four-month
gap between the presidential election and the day the president and vice
president take office.
Based on existing rules, the next presidential poll is scheduled for March next
year, while the next legislative elections are likely to be held this December
or in January next year. Until now, the legislative was usually inaugurated on
Feb. 1, while the presidential inauguration has always taken place on May 20.
Following the decision reached after a three-hour discussion between CEC
members, it is likely that the presidential election will be moved forward
because the law requires that legislative elections be held before a new
legislative session starts on Feb. 1.
Central Election Commission Chairperson Chang Po-ya (張博雅) told a press
conference yesterday evening that the decision was the result of a consensus
reached by CEC members.
“No one [in the commission] was against the combined elections,” Chang said.
The decision was made to reduce social costs and political mobilization, and can
save about NT$500 million for the election fund, she said.
Central Election Commission Vice Chairman Liu Yi-chou (劉義周) added that “there is
no political consideration.”
“The commission is only in charge of election matters. Whether the Constitution
needs be amended or not should be a problem solved by the Chinese Nationalist
Pary (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), not the commission,” Liu
said when asked whether the merged elections could cause a constitutional
crisis, given the long gap between the presidential election and the
presidential inauguration.
Democracy has been in place for such a long time now that there should be no
need to worry about a window period, Chang said.
She said that both the Constitution and laws have explicitly stated regulations
governing the implementation and exercise of governmental operation
“There isn’t a Constitutional window period issue,” Chang said.
She said the commission would next discuss the combined election date with the
county election committees, and report it to the next meeting for further
discussion.
Speculation that it may take place on Jan. 21 was false, because that was too
close to the Lunar New Year, Chang said.
Lin Yi-shih (林益世), executive director of the KMT’s Policy Committee, yesterday
welcomed the CEC decision.
The DPP, on the other hand, expressed opposition to the proposed changes, saying
that while it supported “reasonable revisions,” the current proposal would skew
the election results in favor of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
“The KMT is attempting to change the rules of the game before the presidential
elections. The changes are tailor-made to help President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九)
re-election bid,” DPP spokesperson Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said yesterday.
Lin said that any changes to the election date must take place through
legislative revisions that would enshrine the combined elections in law, rather
than arbitrarily having to tackle the issue every four years.
The party has also expressed concerns that the revision would cause an extended
“lame duck” period of four months before the president-elect takes office, which
by law must occur in May.
“President Ma will have to take responsibility if this results in any problems,”
Lin said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VINCENT Y. CHAO
|
