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Taiwan vote risks China's anger
"BBC" Thursday, 27
November, 2003,
Taiwan's parliament has
approved a bill to allow referendums - a move China's
leadership fears could one day lead the island to
declare formal independence.
The new bill gives Taiwan's president the power to
call a referendum on independence if China attacked.
But the opposition pushed through a clause that blocks
referendums on the most sensitive subjects, including
sovereignty and changing Taiwan's name.
China has threatened to act if Taiwan makes any moves
towards independence.
Beijing's fears
The Chinese Government, which views Taiwan as a
renegade province, had said it would "make a strong
response" if a referendum law without restrictions was
passed.
Chen has made referendums a key election issue
Beijing fears that if the mechanism for referendums is
established, it could be used to force a vote on
independence.
The vote started after 1600 local time (0800 GMT) amid
heated argument with MPs considering several different
versions of the referendum bill.
The version passed was a watered down one, written by
the opposition which has a parliamentary majority.
This gives the legislature the power to screen
potential referendum issues that might involve changes
to the constitution.
And a clause supported by the opposition KMT was also
approved, making it clear that referendums will not be
allowed to make changes to Taiwan's name, flag or
sovereignty.
The opposition was also successful in passing an
article that said only the public and parliament could
initiate a referendum.
President Chen Shui-bian had wanted the government to
also have the power to call such a vote.
These key exemptions may go some way to placating
China that the island's referendum law is not a
precursor to independence.
However, parliament did give Mr Chen the right to call
a referendum on independence if China were to use
force to make the island unify with the mainland.
As the Taiwanese parliament voted, China's state media
called Taiwan's President Chen a "troublemaker" who
was bringing disaster to the island.
"The referendum plan on a new 'constitution' will not
be tolerated by the Chinese people, including the
compatriots in Taiwan," the official Xinhua news
agency said.
Eyes on election
Opinion polls suggest that the majority of Taiwanese
people prefer the ambiguous status quo of their island.
The BBC's Chris Hogg says the referendum issue used to
be a taboo subject in Taiwanese politics. Fears that
it would provoke China to use force stifled serious
debate.
But, he says, politicians on all sides seem to have
decided they can now use it to drum up support ahead
of presidential elections next March.
The KMT still wants reunification with China
President Chen has made referendums a key issue in his
campaign for re-election as leader.
His cabinet is also is keen to stage referendums on
issues such as nuclear power and membership of the
World Health Organisation during next year's
presidential vote.
The KMT also recently dropped its objection to
referendums, realising that its policy was losing it
public support.
Although Taiwan functions as an independent country,
it is officially recognised by fewer than 30 countries.
The two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been divided
since 1949 when the KMT, headed by Chiang Kai-shek,
lost a civil war in China and fled to Taiwan.
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