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President urges voters to back referendums on U.N. bid

ROC Central News Agency

2008-02-26 20:36:35

    Taipei, Feb. 26 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian called on local voters Tuesday to give strong backing to two referendums on Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations that will be held alongside the March 22 presidential election.

    The president said that petitions backing the referendums collected a significant number of signatures, and that the two votes should be given the "same respect and have the same importance attached to them."

    One of the referendums, initiated by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on joining the United Nations under the name "Taiwan, " garnered more than 2.7 million signatures. The other, launched by the Kuomintang (KMT) on returning to the world body under the nation's official name, the Republic of China, or any other practical name, solicited more than 1.5 million signatures.

    Saying that the referendum is a "major step toward cementing Taiwan's democracy, " the president said that the passage of the referendum, be it the DPP's, the KMT's, or both, "will definitely be the biggest triumph and achievement of Taiwan's people." "If the voters split the votes, causing both referendums to fail, then it will be a result that we least want to see, " he said. "It would also send a very wrong message to the world, leading the world to think that Taiwan's people don't care about joining the United Nations and safeguarding their own basic human rights, " the president said.

    It will be the third time referendums have been held since 2004. The previous referendums failed because turnout fell below the 50 percent of eligible voters required.

    Chen said that to prevent the two referendums from being defeated, he had sought to work with the legislature to pass a resolution on a "third" referendum proposal that could be accepted by all parties to ensure its success.

    Chen said he "was forced to give up the idea, " however, because of various factors.

    The United States, one of Taiwan's strongest supporters, voiced strong disapproval of the holding of the DPP-initiated referendum, calling it an "unnecessary provocation, " which will not help the nation.

    The president made the remarks while attending an event outside the Presidential Office to promote a procession backing the U.N. bid sponsored by the National Cultural Association, U.N. for Taiwan Alliance and other civic groups.

    Chen noted that the 13-day procession featuring statues of deities or people dressed up as traditional deities parading around the island is scheduled to kick off Feb. 29 in Keelung before concluding in Taipei County March 12.

    The procession will tour villages and townships with the goal of awakening or rekindling the public's passion for the nation's U.N. bid.

    The president said that the campaign was inspired by a Matsu procession in front of U.N. headquarters in New York prior to the opening of the U.N. General Assembly last September.

    That event was organized by a group of Taiwanese expatriates supportive of Taiwan's U.N. bid, and the scene "touched the heart of everyone who attended" and attracted a lot of foreign media attention, said the president, who described it as a "successful and significant campaign."

    After Matsu was returned to her temple in Taiwan, many temple officials said they also wanted to contribute to the U.N. bid, so the National Cultural Association planned the procession that begins on Friday.

(By Lilian Wu)

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