DPP renews call for ECFA referendum

Tsai said she will responsibly present her party's views when debating the issue with President Ma Ying-jeou April 25 and will “leave the final choice to the people.”

“The most effective way to resolve social confrontation is to hold a referendum to allow the people to decide on the ECFA on their own, “ Tsai said when receiving representatives of the Citizen Congress Watch, a civic organization monitoring legislators.

According to Tsai, Taiwan is a country suitable for referendums because of the high educational level of its people and its maturing society.

Multiple options should be available in a democratic society, she said, expressing disagreement with a media report claiming that “ECFA is Taiwan's only option.”

She noted that President Ma has insisted since 2008 that signing the agreement with China was a necessity but said that the opposition had yet to obtain any comprehensive information regarding its details.

She voiced disappointment at the Presidential Office's refusal to provide the information requested by the DPP in preparation for the debate.

The DPP has requested access to the early harvest list proposed by the government, the draft of the agreement, and government-commissioned ECFA assessment reports.

The Presidential Office turned down the proposal, however, saying the information had to be withheld because the negotiations are still going on.

Tsai explained that the DPP was asking for the information because it wants to ensure the debate will be conducted on an equal footing, not because it was “playing a dirty trick, “ as the Presidential Office alleged.

Through the debate, the DPP hopes that Ma will directly explain to the people the purposes and possible impact of the ECFA and the government's countermeasures, she said.

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