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President reiterates need for new constitution

ROC Central News Agency

2007-08-13 15:32:38

    Taipei, Aug. 13 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian reiterated Monday the necessity for Taiwan to tailor-make a new constitution that is viable and up to date to enhance the country's competitiveness.

    Addressing the issue during a conference on the challenges faced by new democracies held by the Taiwan Thinktank, Chen identified what he called the stiff, outdated and illusory "greater China ideology" as the major enemy and culprit that has been hampering, delaying and impairing the development of Taiwan's constitutional democracy.

    In order to sustain such an ideology, the past authoritarian rulers of Taiwan turned the position of president into that of a monarch, while the legislature, which had originally been designed to be elected via regular elections, was made into "a virtually eternal body," Chen noted. "Furthermore, a constitution that was never approved by the Taiwanese people was imposed on us, and no revision or changes have so far been allowed to be made to the original text of the constitution," Chen said.

    Although Taiwan has now become a truly democratic and free country, the country's democratic system is far from being complete, Chen said, adding that there are five steps that the nation can take to improve the situation.

    First of all, the country should strengthen the Taiwan-centric consciousness to protect Taiwan's status as a sovereign country and uphold its right to participate in the international community, including becoming a full member of the World Health Organization and the United Nations, according to Chen.

    Secondly, the president continued, the country should deepen its democracy by amending the highly restrictive Referendum Law to facilitate the enactment of the new constitution, he said.

    Thirdly, the country should create an environment favorable for fair competition between political parties, he said, stressing that a normal democratic country should not tolerate the existence of a party with "ill-gotten assets" worth tens of billions of New Taiwan dollars and that the government should reclaim the Kuomintang's "ill-gotten assets" to realize transitional justice.

    Fourthly, Taiwan media should establish a self-discipline mechanism to enhance their credibility, he said.

    Fifthly, the president said, the country should raise public awareness on participating in public affairs and public discussion.

    According to Chen, in addition to the "split national identity," the military threat posed by China is another unique challenge facing Taiwan's democratic development.

    Noting that China has always stigmatized Taiwan's efforts to pursue freedom and democracy as moves toward "de jure independence, " Chen said he believes Taiwan is the only country in the world that has to endure such heavy pressure in order to protect its democracy.

    Despite the threat by Beijing, Chen asserted, Taiwan is a sovereign country, and only its 23 million people have the right to determine the country's future.

(By Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/Li