Following President Chen Shui-bian's (
Chen raised eyebrows on Sunday night when he said during a campaign rally in Shulin (樹林), Taipei County, that he was considering four options -- declaring martial law, annulling the results of elections in pan-blue-controlled areas, replacing local election commission heads, or asking the Central Election Commission (CEC) to postpone the elections.
The CEC on Nov. 16 decided to use a one-step voting procedure in which voters will receive two ballots for the legislative elections and two referendum ballots at the same time and cast them into four different boxes.
PHOTO: CNA
However, 18 pan-blue local government chiefs insist on following a two-step voting process, whereby voters first cast their legislative election ballots before receiving their referendum ballots.
Chen reiterated yesterday that he would not impose martial law during his presidency. He said the then Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government did not do so after the devastating earthquake on Sept. 21, 1999, nor did he do so at the height of a campaign to oust him last year.
Urging the public to follow the CEC's decision, Chen said he believed the CEC would negotiate with the 18 counties and cities over the issue and that it would handle the matter in the most appropriate manner.
He criticized the opposition's attempt to boycott the one-step voting system as a move aimed at protecting the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) "stolen assets" and opposing the government campaign to join the UN under the name Taiwan.
"Their purpose is to let Taiwan become part of China and prevent Taiwan from becoming an independent state," he said. "Voting is our constitutional right. The administration will do its best to protect this right and maintain order at polling stations."
A report in the Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday implied that TV political commentator Chen Li-hung (陳立宏) and political talk show host Cheng Hung-yi (鄭弘儀) were the instigators.
Chen Li-hung did not deny the speculation yesterday.
He told a TV program on SET-TV that the comments he made on a TV talk show dealt only with the voting dispute and were not targeted at any particular individual or party.
But Chen Li-hung dismissed talk that he advised the president on the matter because he, as well as the other guests and the host of the program, had not met or talked with Chen recently.
Nor were they planning to do so, he said.
Chen Li-hung also criticized the president for making such rash statements and misleading the public into thinking they were the troublemakers.
As the head of state, Chen is in no position to say that he is considering invalidating the election results, he said.
"Is that what a responsible politician should do?" he asked. "While he should be spending time and effort trying to figure out a way to deal with the problem, all he does is carry on stumping for DPP candidates."
Meanwhile, Legislator David Huang (黃適卓), a former member of the Taiwan Solidarity Union, yesterday revealed that his father, former TSU chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文), had made the recommendation that the CEC replace local election commission heads and delay the elections if necessary.
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
NEW WORLD: Taiwan is pursuing innovative approaches to international relations through economics, trade and values-based diplomacy, the foreign minister said Taiwan would implement a “three-chain strategy” that promotes democratic values in response to US tariffs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said. Taiwan would aim to create a “global democratic value chain,” seek to capitalize on its position within the first island chain and promote a “non-red supply chain,” Lin was quoted as saying in the ministry’s written report to the Legislative Yuan submitted ahead of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting slated for today. The Ministry would also uphold a spirit of mutual beneficial collaboration, maintaining close communication and consultations with Washington to show that Taiwan-US cooperation