96.12.31 Press Release

96.12.31 Press Release
Kuomintang Cultural and Communications Committee
96.12.31
translated by Bevin Chu

This this morning (12/31) the KMT held a 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 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 provisional Central Standing Committee press conference 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 legal codification of the CEC's rules and regulations. Then it distorted the law 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, 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-stage balloting procedure, and the election proceeded without incident. Chen Shui-bian now says that the election process used four years ago was unconstitutional. Has Chen forgotten that he himself was elected president using just such a method?

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 accept plebiscite ballots. It is also solemnly urging the CEC to pull back from the brink, and not to persist in its error. 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-stage and two-stage 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 accept 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.

新　聞　稿 中國國民黨文化傳播委員會 96.12.31

國民黨今 日上午（12/31）召開臨時中常會，正式決議呼籲選民在一月十二日立委選舉時「拒領公投票」。黨主席吳伯雄表示，神聖的公投已被民進黨扭曲為「亂大 選」，甚至是引起衝突的工具，為了台灣的民主繼續下去，國民黨因而痛心的決定呼籲選民「拒領公投票」。國民黨同時嚴正呼籲中選會懸崖勒馬，將公投與大選分 開舉行，若中選會繼續蠻幹，導致引發選務混亂或衝突，中選會及民進黨要負完全責任，「歷史會記他們這一筆」。

吳伯雄今日親自召開臨時中常 會會後記者會，副主席江丙坤、關中、詹春柏、林豐正均一同出席。吳伯雄表示，公投是神聖的，但是已經變質為民進黨拿來綁大選、亂大選、甚至製造混亂，讓選 舉辦不下去的工具，民進黨在這段期間先是不讓中選會法制化，之後一再扭曲法律，威脅選務人員，甚至違法將選務人員撤職，外界懷疑民進黨期盼越亂越好，可作 為停止選舉的藉口，甚至想製造戒嚴的可能，為了台灣的民主發展，國民黨唯有委屈忍讓。

吳伯雄表示，四年前民進黨公投綁大選，但採取兩階段領投票，選務平和沒有糾紛，陳水扁說四年前的作法違法違憲，但「陳總統你別忘了，你就是在你說的違法違憲方式中當選總統」。

他 強調，如今民進黨執意要改成一定會有漏洞、甚至導致衝突的領投票方式，為了不給民進黨公投毀大選的藉口，國民黨痛心的決定，呼籲選民拒領公投票，同時也鄭 重呼籲中選會懸崖勒馬，不要一直錯下去，只要開會決定將大選與公投分開辦理，或至少依照四年前實驗過的領投票方式舉行選舉，即可化解紛爭，讓民主順暢進 行。

吳伯雄強調，儘管中選會做出一階段、二階段的折衷案，但仍有很大的機會出錯，包括容易造成選票被攜出及投錯票匭的計算等等變數，若中選會堅持繼續下去，這次的選舉發生任何錯誤，中選會及民進黨要負完全責任。

吳伯雄說，國民黨目前只決定對一月十二日立委選舉當天的兩項公投案要求拒領公投票，並未提及預定在三月二十二日總統大選時舉行的返聯公投及入聯公投，若中選會能懸崖勒馬，或回復至四年前的領投票方式，國民黨將重新評估三月二十二日總統大選當日同時進行的公投案。

吳伯雄並表示，國民黨呼籲選民拒領公投票，必須要向眾多連署「反貪腐、討國產」公投案的選民致歉，但國民黨保證會用其他司法的方式，貫徹反貪腐討國產的政策。