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POLITICAL PARTIES MIXED AT BUSH'S WORDS ON TAIWAN'S REFERENDUM PLAN

2003-12-10 21:29:53

    Taipei, Dec. 10 (CNA) U. S. President George W. Bush's recent talks on Taiwan's plan to hold a "defensive referendum" was met with mixed reactions Wednesday among lawmakers of various political parties.

    Chen Chi-mai, a caucus whip of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) at the Legislative Yuan, said that Bush's comment a day earlier is just a consistent reiteration of Washington's stance, which opposes Taiwan's holding a referendum on the independence-unification issue.

    Relevant remarks made in recent months by U. S. White House officials and the State Department also are in line with this stance, Chen said, adding that President Chen Shui-bian's plan to hold a "defensive referendum" on March 20, 2004 -- the next presidential election day -- is only meant to secure Taiwan's status quo and security.

    The planned referendum has nothing to do with the independence-unification issue and will not violate the "four noes plus one" policy unveiled by the president in his inaugural speech on May 20, 2000, Chen Chi-mai explained.

    Bush said Tuesday after a meeting with mainland Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the White House that, "We oppose any unilateral decision by either China or Taiwan to change the status quo" and "the comments and actions made by the leader of Taiwan indicate that he may be willing to make decision unilaterally to change the status quo, which we oppose."

    Lee Chia-chin, legislative caucus leader of the main opposition Kuomintang, described Bush's remarks as a setback in President Chen's "personal" diplomatic efforts. He claimed that Bush's words represent a "total U. S. denial and distrust" of all the actions and deeds made by the president and the government led by the DPP.

    Lee urged President Chen to stop weighing personal interests while in turn letting the Taiwan people bear the consequences.

    People First Party (PFP) legislative caucus leader Chou Hsi-wei contended that Bush's comments were only directed at President Chen as a result of his personal remarks and deeds. The people of Taiwan have the right to decide their own future in line with the law and foreign forces must not allowed to interfere, he said.

    Calling President Chen's plan to hold a "defensive referendum" on the next presidential election day a campaign strategy, the PFP lawmaker called on the president to restrain from doing anything which might damage the people's benefits, the national interest or security.

    Chou also urged the Executive Yuan not to veto the Referendum Law passed last week by the legislature so that the people can exercise their right to a vote.

    Meanwhile, Taiwan Solidarity Union legislative caucus whip Liao Ben-yan said the United States should not meddle in Taiwan's domestic affairs and he suggested the president send officials to step up communications with Washington.

    The United States, as a free and democratic nation, must respect the right of Taiwan's 23 million people to hold a referendum, he said.

(By Flor Wang)

ENDITEM/mw