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KMT, PFP REITERATE OPPOSITION TO REFERENDUM ON TAIWAN'S FUTURE

Aug 06, 2002 20:44 UTC+0800

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) Officials of the main opposition Kuomintang said Tuesday that the party stands firm to protect the status of the Republic of China and will oppose a plebiscite on Taiwan's future.

Speaking at a news conference called at the Legislative Yuan, Tseng Yung-chuan, executive director of the KMT's Policy Coordination Committee, said the KMT does not back Taiwan independence or the holding of a plebiscite to allow the public to decide Taiwan's future.

According to Tseng, a plebiscite is a legal issue that is incapable of changing a country's status as defined in its constitution. He added that the KMT will only support such moves on issues "of major public interest."

Chen told a gathering of pro-Taiwan independence backers in Tokyo through a video linkup that Taiwan and mainland China are two countries on either side of the Taiwan Strait and that Taiwan will follow its own path in the face of Beijing's continued cold shoulder to Taiwan's goodwill overtures. He also said there is urgent need of legislation to allow a plebiscite to determine Taiwan's future.

KMT legislative whip Lee Chuan-chiao said Chen's words are acceptable to the KMT if his "one side, one country" remarks refer to the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. But he stressed that the KMT will firmly oppose holding a plebiscite to change the status quo in favor of Taiwan independence.

Pointing out that the domestic stock market lost more than NT$500 billion (US$14.7 billion) Monday as a result of Chen's statement, Lee urged the Democratic Progressive Party government not to repeatedly hurt the Taiwan people with its political language.

Liu Wen-hsiung, a legislative whip of the opposition People First Party, urged Chen to refrain from making inappropriate remarks and said his party will fully block any unconstitutional plebiscite legislation.

(By Flor Wang)