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PRESIDENT CHEN CALLS REFERENDUM BILL A VICTORY FOR THE PEOPLE

20031128

   Taipei, Nov. 28 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Friday that 
   the passage of legislation for the country's first referendum bill is 
   a victory for all of the people on Taiwan, but pitfalls in 
   implementing the bill still have to be removed. 
    One day after the opposition parties at the Legislative Yuan 
   passed a referendum bill which excludes most of the ruling party's 
   ideas, the president kept a stiff upper lip while visiting a temple 
   in Tahsi, Taoyuan County, saying the road to full democracy is never 
   straightforward and smooth, "But as long as we move on the right 
   path, we will arrive at it someday." 
    Citing the about-face of the opposition parties, which initially 
   had given the cold shoulder to his calls for a referendum six months 
   ago, the president said he is confidence the people will break free 
   of the shackles put on them in terms of exercising their right to 
   call a referendum. 
    Premier Yu Shyi-kun made no secret of his disappointment with the 
   bill Friday, saying it gives the right to hold a referendum more to 
   the legislature than to the public and his Executive Yuan is 
   considering to scuttle it by requesting the legislature to reconsider 
   it. Such a move is tantamount to a veto and the Legislative Yuan can 
   only override it by a majority vote within 15 days. 
    On the other hand, lawmakers of opposition parties, mainly the 
   Kuomintang (KMT) and People First Party (PFP), were taking the credit 
   for getting the legislation passed and proclaiming a leadership role, 
   saying that the right to referendum should be written into the ROC 
   Constitution. Lawmaker Lee Chia-chin, KMT whip at the legislature, 
   said he is confident of getting the signatures of 108 lawmakers by 
   Monday which will start the process for amending the Constitution. 
    In order to accommodate the newly created right to referendum, 
   Lee said five articles in the current Constitution have to be changed 
   while one should be added to. 
    As the KMT and PFP control a narrow majority of 112 seats between 
   them out of a total of 223, Lee said his party will seek the support 
   of a dozen or so independent lawmakers. 
   (By Maubo Chang) 
   ENDITEM/mw