A controversial proposal to reform the DPP's independence platform was swept back quietly under the carpet yesterday by the party's Central Executive Committee, which sent it to the policy research department for further review.
"We need more discussion and research before we make any substantive moves," said Yu Shyi-kun, DPP secretary general.
The DPP said it was not dropping the issue, but merely following party procedures. According to the terms of those procedures, such an amendment can only be approved by a vote of representatives at the party's National Party Congress.
The National Party Congress is set to meet in June or July.
On Tuesday, Chen Chao-nan (陳昭南) proposed changes to the DPP's independence guidelines as outlined in the party's charter, suggesting they should be regarded as a "historical document" and that the phrase "establishing the Republic of Taiwan" should be deleted.
Chen's proposal argued that Taiwan's sovereignty has already been achieved because of democratic developments, under which Taiwanese can now freely elect their president and have established a democratic legislature.
Party Chairman Lin I-hsiung (
Over the past few years DPP leaders have attempted to show their platform policy expresses the right to independence, but that such a choice would only be exercised after a referendum.
"It's time to give our voters a new perspective of the DPP," Lin said, "especially since the independence platform has become a weakness for the DPP, forcing our candidates onto the defensive in elections."
Party faction leaders expressed different opinions on Chen's proposal, saying it was not the proper time to start a debate on the subject.
Lin Chuo-shui
While the proposal is seen as a move to help pave the way for a visit by President-elect Chen Shui-bian (
"If it's passed it will not change the DPP's stance and risks further upsetting Beijing," Lin said. "If announced it will be like restating the DPP's stance."
Shen Fu-hsiung (
"Now that the KMT is falling apart and the DPP has won the presidential election, the DPP has no reason to create internal party divisions," Shen said.
During meetings to discuss which DPP member would be chosen to run for president last February, the independence topic came up and was heatedly debated. During the debate Shen and Lin clashed several times over the issue.
During the party's National Congress in March of last year, representatives decided not to amend the platform.
Representatives were opposed to changing the party's founding principles because of the opinion of a few individuals, or for other special reasons.
Core Taiwan independence supporters took their objections to DPP chairman Lin yesterday, telling him that the independence platform was the only weapon President-elect Chen had to fight against Beijing's "one China" policy.
"If we go and change the DPP's independence platform before China has said anything about it, it is like surrendering ourselves and dropping our weapons," said Ng Chiau-tong
Taiwan’s Lee Chia-hao (李佳豪) on Sunday won a silver medal at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, England, a career best. Lee, 25, took silver in the final of the men’s singles against world No. 1 Shi Yuqi (石宇奇) of China, who won 21-17, 21-19 in a tough match that lasted 51 minutes. After the match, the Taiwanese player, who ranks No. 22 in the world, said it felt unreal to be challenging an opponent of Shi’s caliber. “I had to be in peak form, and constantly switch my rhythm and tactics in order to score points effectively,” he said. Lee got
EMBRACING TAIWAN: US lawmakers have introduced an act aiming to replace the use of ‘Chinese Taipei’ with ‘Taiwan’ across all Washington’s federal agencies A group of US House of Representatives lawmakers has introduced legislation to replace the term “Chinese Taipei” with “Taiwan” across all federal agencies. US Representative Byron Donalds announced the introduction of the “America supports Taiwan act,” which would mandate federal agencies adopt “Taiwan” in place of “Chinese Taipei,” a news release on his page on the US House of Representatives’ Web site said. US representatives Mike Collins, Barry Moore and Tom Tiffany are cosponsors of the legislation, US political newspaper The Hill reported yesterday. “The legislation is a push to normalize the position of Taiwan as an autonomous country, although the official US
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
CHANGE OF TONE: G7 foreign ministers dropped past reassurances that there is no change in the position of the G7 members on Taiwan, including ‘one China’ policies G7 foreign ministers on Friday took a tough stance on China, stepping up their language on Taiwan and omitting some conciliatory references from past statements, including to “one China” policies. A statement by ministers meeting in Canada mirrored last month’s Japan-US statement in condemning “coercion” toward Taiwan. Compared with a G7 foreign ministers’ statement in November last year, the statement added members’ concerns over China’s nuclear buildup, although it omitted references to their concerns about Beijing’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. Also missing were references stressing the desire for “constructive and stable relations with China” and
RSS