Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday told lawmakers that amending the Constitution should not be carried out in haste because it is a big project that concerns all the people.
"We should not forget that China has never renounced its intention to take Taiwan using force. To recognize ourselves as a nation and make ourselves stronger should be our focus instead of [amending the Constitution]," Su said. "We should not make any changes to the Constitution without first consulting the general public, the Taiwanese people."
The premier made the remarks while addressing the legislature yesterday morning. His words came in response to a question from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴), who asked Su for his comments on President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) "second republic" proposal -- to amend the Constitution and announce Taiwan an independent country.
Chen mentioned the idea at the 80th birthday celebrations of former presidential adviser Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏) last Sunday evening.
At the party, Chen also cited Koo's 1996 article entitled "Establishing A Country of Our Own," in which Koo wrote that Taiwanese should establish a country by using the nation's "sorrowful history" as the "backbone" in order to rebuild people's confidence. Chen said that establishing an independent country was his dream and resolution.
Su also told lawmakers it was his belief that it would not be easy to secure the public's consent to amend the Constitution at this moment because the issue concerns the relationship between Taiwan, China and the US.
"As premier, I have never tried to stop anybody talking about amending the Constitution. We accept different voices. But personally, I am the premier of the Republic of China and it is not appropriate for me to comment on the issue. That will not change," Su said.
The premier also reminded lawmakers not to forget about the ever present threat posed by China.
"They [the Chinese government] will never give up trying to make us part of them. We should recognize ourselves as a country and do our best to defend ourselves even though we have never considered ourselves as being their enemy," Su said.
New Party Legislator Wu Cherng-dean (吳成典) challenged the premier and said that Taiwan cannot continue to treat China as the enemy because Taiwan's development definitely concerns China.
"There will be a lot of advantages for us if we can handle the cross-strait relationship well," he said.
The premier said that being careful was the bottom line to handling China.
"There are still lots of different ways for [China] to annex us," Su said. "We cannot provide them with them any opportunities."
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday appealed to the authorities to release former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) from pretrial detention amid conflicting reports about his health. The TPP at a news conference on Thursday said that Ko should be released to a hospital for treatment, adding that he has blood in his urine and had spells of pain and nausea followed by vomiting over the past three months. Hsieh Yen-yau (謝炎堯), a retired professor of internal medicine and Ko’s former teacher, said that Ko’s symptoms aligned with gallstones, kidney inflammation and potentially dangerous heart conditions. Ko, charged with
Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀) has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) in personal assets and deprived political rights for one year for “inciting secession” in China, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said today. The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict on Feb. 17, Chen said. The trial was conducted lawfully, and in an open and fair manner, he said, adding that the verdict has since come into legal effect. The defendant reportedly admitted guilt and would appeal within the statutory appeal period, he said, adding that the defendant and his family have