Taiwan will hold U.N. bid referendum: Chen

He met Edwin J. Feulner, Jr., chairman of the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, at his office in the morning and told the latter preparations are being completed for holding that referendum together with one of the two elections scheduled for next January and March.

The president said the proposal for the voting, for which at least one million signatures have yet to be collected to make an agenda, will take place on January 12 alongside the legislative elections or the presidential race, which will be held on a Saturday around March 20.

Chen has to step down on May 20, and the election has to be called at least two months ahead of the inauguration of his successor, according to the Constitution.

“We’ll hold the referendum on our bid to join the United Nations under the name of Taiwan to let the whole world hear the voice of the 23 million people of Taiwan,” President Chen said.

A rally of one million will be organized in early September to call for supporting Taiwan to accede to the world body, from which the Republic of China was ousted in 1971.

The United Nations will hold its annual General Assembly in September. Taiwan will apply for accession with the UNGA when it opens.

That does not contradict Chen’s “four-no” promise, made twice in his inaugural addresses in 2000 and 2004. He pledged not to declare independence, not to change the title of the country, not to include a “two-China” doctrine in the Constitution, and not to call a referendum over issues that may change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.

“Our bid to join the United Nations under the name of Taiwan has nothing to do with any of these promises,” President Chen declared. “We are not changing the title of the country,” he added, “for we are trying to join as Taiwan.”

The opposition alliance of the Kuomintang and the People First Party wrote off the Chen referendum as a “non-issue.”

Wu Den-yih, Kuomintang secretary-general, told the press in the afternoon the referendum is totally and absolutely unnecessary.

“All of us in Taiwan are agreed that we have to rejoin the United Nations,” Wu went on. “But,” he added, “we don’t have to apply as Taiwan.”

Though the referendum is uncalled for, Wu said, the Kuomintang wishes to get Taiwan back to the United Nations by a “flexible means.”

Taiwan tried in vain to accede to the World Health Organization under that name, Wu said. “We’re routed, with 148 members rejecting us, while those who used to support us withheld their support,” he added.

The United States and Japan used to support Taiwan’s bid to join the WHO as an observer. They opposed its accession as a full member under the name of Taiwan.

“Taiwan has to be flexible,” Wu stressed.

Huang Yi-jiao, PFP legislative caucus whip, said the United States won’t support Taipei’s bid to rejoin the United Nations as Taiwan.

Without any international support, the bid won’t make it through the General Committee, where the agenda will be set for the UNGA, Huang pointed out

“It’ll be an exercise in futility,” Huang said.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party voiced full support for President Chen’s plan to call the referendum alongside one of next year’s two elections.

Lawmaker Ker Chien-ming, DPP legislative caucus whip, believes the referendum will help the ruling party win the two elections.

There is another referendum, Ker said. It’s about the liquidation of the Kuomintang. “That referendum to require the Kuomintang to return its ill-gotten assets to the national treasury may have to be held at the same time,” he added.

Chang Yi-chan, DPP deputy executive secretary, said the Referendum Review Commission will accept the proposal for the referendum on Taiwan’s U.N. bid on June 29.

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