KMT Press Release

Press Release
Kuomintang Cultural and Communications Committee
December 31,2007

This morning the KMT held an extraordinary meeting of its Central Standing Committee. It issued a formal resolution appealing to voters in the January 12 legislative elections to "Refuse to accept Plebiscite Ballots." Party Chairman Wu Po-hsiung said that the DPP was misusing the plebiscite to create chaos and generate conflict. For the sake of Taiwan's democracy, the KMT is asking voters to "Refuse to accept Plebiscite Ballots." The KMT also issued a solemn appeal to the CEC, urging that the plebiscites and the presidential election be held separately, If the CEC continued to act recklessly, if the election led to confusion or conflict, the Central Election Commission and the DPP would have to bear full responsibility, "History will take note of what they did. "

Wu Po-hsiung convened a press conference following the meeting today. Vice-Chairman Chiang Pin-kung, Kuan Chung, Tsan Bo, and Lin Feng-cheng were in attendance. Wu Po-hsiung said that the DPP had misused the plebiscite, turning it into a DPP election tool. Creating chaos so that the election can no longer be held is a DPP political ploy. First the DPP refused to permit the legitimization of the CEC through legislation. Then it distorted the law rule and intimidated election officials. It even threatened illegal firings. Observers began to suspect the DPP was looking for an excuse to nullify the election, or even impose martial law rule, For the sake of Taiwan's democratic development, the KMT has been forced to make this concession.

Wu Po-hsiung said that four years ago the Democratic Progressive Party tied two plebiscites to the presidential election. It used a two-stop balloting procedure, and the election proceeded without incident. Chen Shui-bian now says that the balloting procedure used four years ago was unconstitutional. Has Chen forgotten that he himself was elected president using just such a procedure?

He stressed that the DPP is bent on changing the balloting procedure to ensure that there will be numerous loopholes, that will lead to balloting procedure conflicts. In order to prevent the Democratic Progressive Party from using the plebisite as a pretext to nullify the election, the KMT has made a painful decision. It is appealing to voters to refuse to receive plebiscite ballots. It is also solemnly urging that the CEC pull back from the brink, and not persist in its errors. As long as it uses the same balloting procedure that it used four years ago, in which the election ballots and plebiscite ballots were handled separately, that would forstall any further controversy, and allow democracy to proceed smoothly.

Wu stressed that although CEC has reached a compromise between the single-stop and two-stop balloting procedures, there is still too much room for mistakes. These include ballots being removed from or placed into the wrong ballot boxes, leading to counting errors. If the CEC persists in its error, the CEC and the Democratic Progressive Party must bear full responsibility for any problems arising from this election.

Wu Po-hsiung said that for the moment the KMT is asking the public to refuse to receive plebiscite ballots only for the January 12 plebiscite, to be held on the same day as the legislative elections. He made no mention of the "Join the UN" and "Rejoin the UN" plebiscites, to be held on March 22, the same day as the presidential election. If the CEC pulls back from the brink, or reverts to the balloting procedure used four years ago, the KMT will re-evaluate its policy for the plebiscite to be held on March 22, the same day as the presidential election.

Wu also said that the KMT apologizes to the many voters who petitioned for the "anti-corruption, recover national assets" plebiscite. The KMT promises to pursue justice by other means, in order to implement its anti-corruption policies.

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