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MAC HEAD LASHES OUT AT OPPOSITION-PROPOSED CROSS-STRAIT BILL

ROC Central News Agency

2005-10-03 21:04:14

    Taipei, Oct. 3 (CNA) An opposition-proposed cross-Taiwan Strait peace promotion bill would bypass the executive arm and plunge the nation's democracy into difficulties, Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu claimed Monday.

    The nation's top China policy charter made the remarks when he received Georg Jarzembowski, chairman of a pro-Taiwan group in the European Parliament.

    Wu noted that the first article of the bill proposed by the opposition People First Party has the so-called "'92 consensus" as its premise, an issue on which he said there is no clear agreement in Taiwan.

    For the opposition, the "'92 consensus" means a tacit agreement on different interpretations as to the meaning of "one China" reached in the wake of a cross-strait meeting in Hong Kong 1992, which paved the way for the first high-ranking meeting across the Taiwan Strait in nearly five decades the following year.

    Wu said that for China, the consensus means the fleshing out of its cherished "one China" principle.

    If the bill were to be passed, Taiwan politics would be thrown into chaos immediately, he claimed, adding that the country would then be in a very unfavorable situation faced with strong military pressure from China.

    In addition, a cross-strait consultation committee would be set up under the proposed peace promotion bill that would enjoy enormous executive power, thus pushing the executive branch aside, Wu said.

    If the executive branch will not accept its resolution, it is likely to be turned over to the judicial authorities, which Wu said would destroy the spirit of the checks and balances mechanism between the executive and legislative branches under the Constitution.

    Jarzembowski for his part expressed his vehement opposition to the military threat posed to Taiwan by China and his opposition to the lifting of a 16-year-old European Union arms embargo on China.

    He also said he was baffled to learn that Taiwan's opposition parties have continuously obstructed the review of a major arms procurement package from the United States, and that the E.U. is concerned about Taiwan's defense security.

    He pointed out that political parties in democratic countries may bicker over differences on domestic issues, but claimed they are in unison when it comes to national security or foreign affairs issues.

(By Lilian Wu)

ENDITEM/J