'320' REFERENDUM TO MAKE TAIWAN SAFER: PRESIDENT
2004-01-18 19:42:01
Taipei, Jan. 18 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Sunday that the March 20 "320" referendum will offer a "greater guarantee" of Taiwan's security.
Chen made the remarks while attending a garden party to celebrate the inauguration of the Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan Coastal National Scenic Area Administration in the southern Taiwan county of Chiayi.
Chen noted he has unveiled the two questions to be put forth for Taiwan's first-ever referendum to coincide with the March 20 presidential election.
Noting that referendum is a universal value and a basic human right, Chen said the "320" referendum will be a historic milestone in Taiwan's democratic development.
The upcoming referendum will offer a venue for the Taiwan people to express their opinions about whether Taiwan should strengthen its missile defense system in the face of mainland China's missile threat and whether the government should form a peaceful interactive mechanism to negotiate with Beijing.
By holding the referendum, Chen said, the people of Taiwan will be able to forge a national consensus on what he described as the two "critical issues" regarding Taiwan's security, stability and sustainable development. "And such a consensus will offer a greater guarantee of our national security," he said.
Moreover, Chen went on, the referendum will let the world better understand Taiwan's plight in the face of mainland China's military threat.
(By Sofia Wu)
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