The Cabinet’s Referendum Review Commission must tread warily when considering a proposed referendum on the cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement, according to the former secretary-general of Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation.
“Rashly approving the proposed referendum could undermine the system and trigger a democratic crisis,” C.V. Chen wrote in an open letter to commission members May 24.
On May 4, Taiwan Solidarity Union’s proposed referendum on the ECFA was approved by the Cabinet-level Central Election Commission and sent to the RRC for consideration. The proposal asks voters to state whether the government should sign an ECFA with mainland China.
Chen, who is also president of Taiwan’s Red Cross Society and chairman and managing partner of a high-profile Taipei-based law firm, questions the wording of the question, arguing that it is not in line with TSU’s position on the ECFA.
“The TSU should use ‘disagree,’ rather than ‘agree’ in its question,” he said. “There is no denying that the party is manipulating the referendum system and that such a tactic is aimed at exploiting loopholes in the referendum law.”
“Committee members should ask whether the TSU supports or opposes the ECFA, and then request that its question be on par with this position,” Chen said. “If not, then the committee should reject the proposal out of hand.”
A public hearing on the TSU proposal, and a meeting to decide whether the proposed question conforms with the requirements of a valid referendum proposal, will be held May 27 and June 3 respectively.
According to the RRC, representatives from the Cabinet, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Mainland Affairs Council, along with two academics, will attend the review meeting. (CYH-JSM)