If the nation is to ratify a new constitution, it must first end any illusions about the current document’s relevance to Taiwan, an academic told a forum in Taipei yesterday.
For the constitutional revisionist movement to succeed, it needs public enthusiasm, the right timing and a clear plan of action, Chung Yuan Christian University associate professor Hsu Wei-chun (徐偉群) told attendees at the event titled “Imagining a New Constitution for a New Era,” which was organized by the National Taiwan University Graduate Student Association.
The Constitution exists under the “one China” framework and has little relevance to Taiwan, Hsu said, adding that there have been calls to rewrite it for more than 40 years, but such social movements take time.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
As a constitution is a highly political document that is deeply connected to a nation’s character, it must be considered when diagnosing political ailments and when imagining what kind of a country its people wish to have, he said.
Therefore, Taiwanese must become familiar with the Constitution, but at present, it is disconnected from people’s daily lives, he said, adding that if people truly want a new nation, drafting a new constitution is imperative.
Hsu said that reformers should focus on two key aspects: the Constitution’s “one China” framework and transforming governance.
Considering Taiwan’s precarious status, the “one China” framework is intertwined with Chinese aggression, yet has little to do with Taiwan itself, he said, adding that drafting a new Constitution could help the nation diagnose its political challenges and implement reform.
However, most important is how Taiwanese view their relationship with China, Hsu said.
For example, Hsu said that he still has students who think that the Shanxi and Yunnan provinces are part of the Republic of China, so to illustrate the problem, he asks them how the government should tackle crime in those regions.
Breaking this illusion of affiliation is difficult, but as Chinese aggression rises, so does Taiwanese consciousness, he said.
People’s lives have become more connected to this land, Hsu said, adding that he is optimistic about the future, as Taiwanese would have the chance to decide for themselves.
Hsu, who also serves on the executive committee of the Civil Alliance to Promote Constitutional Reform, has twice before participated in constitutional reform movements.
During the Sunflower movement, Hsu petitioned to convene a constitutional convention. After the 2016 presidential election, the alliance proposed four priorities for constitutional reform: lowering the voting age to 18, lowering the threshold for constitutional referendums, reforming the apportionment of legislator-at-large seats and revising the human rights clause.
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
POOR IMPLEMENTATION: Teachers welcomed the suspension, saying that the scheme disrupted school schedules, quality of learning and the milk market A policy to offer free milk to all school-age children nationwide is to be suspended next year due to multiple problems arising from implementation of the policy, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday. The policy was designed to increase the calcium intake of school-age children in Taiwan by drinking milk, as more than 80 percent drink less than 240ml per day. The recommended amount is 480ml. It was also implemented to help Taiwanese dairy farmers counter competition from fresh milk produced in New Zealand, which is to be imported to Taiwan tariff-free next year when the Agreement Between New Zealand and
RSS