The pan-blue parties dominated the legislative showdown on the Referendum Law (公民投票法) yesterday, as the legislature acted on its promise to complete a referendum law by the end of this month.
Cashing in on their numerical edge in the 223-seat legislature, opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) lawmakers passed a law that did not fulfill the Cabinet's hopes.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The pan-blue camp vetoed most of the pan-green parties' ideas, denying the Cabinet the power to hold advisory referendums, and excluding the issues of sovereignty, territory, and a proposed new constitution from the referendum process.
The new law denies the government the right to hold advisory referendums to gauge public opinion.
Government officials would face legal punishment for violations of the referendum law.
The opposition-controlled legislature excluded from the referendum process the pan-green camp's ideas for allowing referendums on altering the country's name, flag, anthem and territory.
This came despite an announcement by KMT whip Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進) just before yesterday's showdown.
Lee had claimed that "KMT caucus members decided to withdraw the ban because Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) recently declared the existence of the Republic of China. The KMT caucus members thought that we should safeguard the people's right to make proposals in the future when they feel that Taiwan needs to think about a change."
The new law restricts citizens' referendum rights on the nation's major policies and on constitutional amendments.
The KMT and PFP lawmakers held that the country's overhaul of the Constitution should be carried out only in accordance with the regular procedure of the Legislative Yuan.
The legislature resolved in the new law that the Executive Yuan would be in charge of nationwide referendums, while regional referendums would be managed by local governments.
A Referendum Review Committee (公投審議委員會) would be formed to examine proposed topics for referendums and to make rules for implementing referendums after their approval.
The referendum committee, in addition to the chairman of the Central Election Committee (CEC), would be comprised of 20 commissioners recommended by the various political parties, with seats apportioned according to the parties' representation in the legislature.
The commissioners would have to be confirmed by the president.
A referendum would take place within six months after an announcement by the authorities, according to the provisions of the new law.
Lawmakers concluded that referendums could be held on the same date as national elections, including the presidential election and those for county commissioners and mayors.
The pan-blue parties decided to be open to a defensive referendum, which offers the president the power to initiate a special referendum on changing the country's sovereignty when the country faces external threats to its security.
A referendum item, after being approved or rejected by the electorate, could not be presented for another referendum for three years from the date that the CEC released the referendum result.
Referendum items on major infrastructure policy issues could not be reintroduced within eight years, according to the new law.
The vote upset Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawma-kers and their pan-green allies in the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).
The DPP caucus said that the legislature had passed a referendum law that restricts people from practicing their referendum power.
"The DPP protests this law," said DPP whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘). "This Referendum Law would not only ban people from voting to show their wish to change the country's sovereignty, but would also kill the hope of legislative reforms accomplished through the votes of the people."
Members of the TSU caucus also decried the passage of the law.
TSU Legislator Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘) said that "the decision to form a Referendum Review Committee, and to provide for legislative control of the referendum process, turns lawmakers into the supreme rulers of the referendum process in this country."
GRAPHIC: TT
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old