New Constitution
Issue
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Ma Plans Constitutional Amendment
after 2010
(China Post, July 16, 2007) Presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) pledged to revise
the nation's Constitution to give top priority to the people's well-being
rather than politicians' own interests. He also stressed the amendment
will be carried out cautiously and will not take place before 2010.
Draft
Constitution Calls for Using Cabinet System
(Taiwan
News, Apr. 3, 2007) A civic group made
public its draft constitution calling for Taiwan to adopt cabinet system
and a nominal president that has no substantive political power.
Second
Half of Draft Constitution Unveiled
(Taipei
Times, Mar. 26, 2007) Aside from making it
easier to amend the Constitution, the 'second republic' constitution
addresses issues from the powers of the president to the judicial system.
KMT Opposes '2nd Republic'
Constitution
(CNA, Mar. 21, 2007) The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) released a written
statement saying that it is resolutely opposed to the draft "second
republic" constitution proposed by National Taiwan University Professor
Chen Ming-tong two days ago.
Group Pushes New
Constitution
(Taipei Times, Mar 19, 2007) Until China and Taiwan agree on their political
relationship through a democratic process, the present Constitution should
cease to apply and a "second republic" constitution should be
enacted, a local think tank said. The pro-independence Taiwan Thinktank made
public a draft of the "second republic" constitution.
Chen Allays Constitution
Fears
(Taipei Times, Mar. 18, 2007) President Chen Shui-bian said that his desire
to push for a new constitution was not an attempt to move Taiwan toward de
jure independence as China has alleged, but to cement the nation's democracy.
Taiwan's Chen Aims to
Redraft Constitution Before End of Term
(Bloomberg, Mar. 17, 2007) Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian is determined to
complete a draft of a new constitution by the end of his term. ''It's his
hope to have the draft of a new constitution completed by the end of his
term.''
Call for Change May Conflict
with US: Negroponte
(Taipei Times, Feb. 1, 2007) John Negroponte, US President George W. Bush's
nominee for deputy secretary of state, on Tuesday cautioned that President
Chen Shui-bian's call for constitutional change could be "at cross
purposes" with US policy toward Taiwan.
President Says Time,
Conditions Ripe for a New Constitution
(Taiwan News, Jan. 27, 2007) President Chen Shui-bian declared that the
"time and conditions were ripe" for the promotion of a new
Constitution to match the needs of Taiwan's new democratic realities.
Constitutional Reform
Needed, Despite China, Su Proclaims
(CNA, Jan. 7, 2007) Taiwan needs sweeping constitutional reform even though
pursuing it may ruffle China's feathers and touch a raw nerve in America,
Premier Su Tseng-chang said.
US Cautions Taiwan's Leader
Again on Constitutional Changes
(AFP, Nov. 3, 2006) The United States warned Taiwan's independence-minded
president not to press ahead with plans for constitutional reform that would
be sure to inflame tensions with rival China.
Chen Supports 'Freezing'
Constitution
(Taipei Times, Nov. 3, 2006) President Chen Shui-bian said Taiwan could
"freeze" its current Constitution and adopt a new one. Under the
concept of "Second Republic," Chen said that the current
Constitution would be "frozen" and a new constitution for Taiwan
would be written.
New Taiwan Constitution Not
a Dream, Says Chen
(CNA, Oct. 31, 2006) President Chen Shui-bian told a teleconference that
constitutional re-engineering will become "a vogue" in Taiwan next
year and that "it's absolutely not a dream to help deliver a new
Constitution for Taiwan."
US Wants Chen to Keep
Promises
(Taipei Times, Oct. 19, 2006) The US State Department urged President
Chen Shui-bian to live up to the promises he made in his two inaugural
addresses. State Department spokesman Tom Casey made the remarks when responding
to questions regarding Chen's recent proposal that the Constitution be frozen
to enact a "Second Republic constitution" that fits the status quo in Taiwan.
President
Urges Consideration of `Second Republic'
(Taipei Times, Oct. 16, 2006) Touching on issues of constitutional reform, President Chen
Shui-bian said that the idea of a "Second Republic" is worth considering.
DPP Delays Release of
Charter Draft
(Straits Times, Oct. 5, 2006) Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP) fails to reach consensus on inclusion of sovereignty issues and put the
brakes on a plan to include sensitive sovereignty issues in its draft of the
island's new Constitution.
DPP Promises Not to Break
'Four Noes'
(Taipei Times, Oct. 4, 2006) The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) proposals
for constitutional amendments will not violate the "four noes"
promise President Chen Shui-bian made in 2000, the Presidential Office said.
Chen Vows to Deliver on
Constitution
(Taipei Times, Sep 29, 2006) Calling Taiwan and
China two countries, President Chen Shui-bian yesterday vowed to
deliver a new Constitution, join the UN with the name "Taiwan" and hold a referendum on the recovery of assets stolen by
the Kuomintang (KMT).
US Reminds Taiwanese Leader
Not to Break Commitments
(AFP, Sep. 26, 2006) The United States reminded Taiwan's President Chen
Shui-bian to keep his commitment not to raise sovereignty issues that could
anger China, as the leader pushed for a new constitution for the island.
Chen Proposes Change of
Constitution
(Taipei Times, Sep 25, 2006) Beset by problems the president sought yesterday
to drag up an old theme in an effort to gain support, while opposition
parties scorned his suggestions.
DPP May Take Risky Road on
Charter
(Straits Times, Sep. 22, 2006) Taiwan's ruling party is expected to release
early next month its draft for the island's new Constitution, which could
touch on sensitive issues related to the island's sovereignty.
Taiwan Opposition Raps
Scandal-Tainted Chen over Fresh Constitution Vow (AFP, Aug. 14, 2004)
Taiwan's opposition lambasted the scandal-embroiled President Chen Shui-bian,
saying his fresh promise to push for a new constitution was part of efforts
to distract public attention.
Chen Reaffirms Dream of
Crafting New Constitution
(CNA, Aug. 13, 2006) President Chen Shui-bian reaffirmed his dream of
crafting a new constitution for the country, saying that it is his
"historic mission." He said his "biggest dream is to bring
about a timely, relevant and viable Constitution that Taiwan needs."
Constitutional Reform Still
on the Agenda, Official Says
(Taipei Times, June 1, 2006) Constitutional reform will forge ahead despite
the campaign launched by the opposition to recall President Chen Shui-bian.
The Chen administration has been dogged by a string of scandals in recent
months.
U.S. Visitor Issues Blunt
Warning to Chen Gov't
(China Post, May 26, 2006) Washington policy makers are worried that Taiwan
will push for independence through constitutional reform in a "nightmare
scenario, said Alan Romberg.
Chen Comes Out in Support of
Anthem
(Taipei Times, May 14, 2006) Although the DPP has long campaigned to change
the national anthem, the president said yesterday that it was important to sing
it 'out loud.'
Constitutional Change No
Cure-All: Ma
(China Post, May, 1, 2006) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou of the opposition Kuomintang
(KMT) tends to focus on more pressing issues affecting people's daily life
rather than giving priority to amending the Constitution at least in the
foreseeable future.
Taiwan's President Set to
Open Debate on New Constitution
(Washington Post, Mar. 14, 2006) President Chen Shui-bian declared that he
will soon open debate on a new constitution for Taiwan, including the
explosive issues of sovereignty, territory and formal independence for the
self-ruled island.
Chen Resolves to Write New
Constitution
(Yomiuri Shimbun, Mar. 4, 20060 Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian stressed his determination to draft a
new constitution that would better suit Taiwan's present situation. "I'll drive forward the formulation of
a new constitution based on legal procedures," Chen said.
Taiwan Party to Debate
Constitution
(Financial Times, Feb. 18 2006) President Chen
Shui-bian's ruling party will propose changes to Taiwan's official name, flag, national anthem and the definition of its
national territory in a draft constitution designed to strengthen its
pro-independence credentials.
DPP Hopefuls Call for New
Constitution
(China Post, Jan. 8, 2006) All three contenders for the ruling party
chairmanship agree Taiwan needs a new Constitution, and they are willing to
take the opposition's challenge to let a referendum settle the row over
cross-strait direct flights.
Cabinet OKs Referendum Law
Overhaul
(Taiwan News, June 30, 2005) The Cabinet
approved a package of revisions to the Referendum Law that would lower the
thresholds for citizen initiatives and the passage of referendums that do not
impinge on the Constitution or the definition of the national territory.
President Laments Power of 'Greater
China Ideology'
(Taiwan News, June 26, 20050 Departing from his recent rhetoric on the
sovereignty issue, President Chen Shui-bian yesterday blamed what he called
the "illusionary Greater China" ideology for hampering Taiwan from
achieving normal statehood, and vowed to fix the situation by pushing for a
new Constitution.
DPP Establishes Group to
Draft Policies on Second-Phase Constitutional Reforms (TN, June 10, 2005) The Democratic
Progressive Party has established a 15-person member commission to begin
mapping out the governing party's proposals for the direction and content of
the "second-phase" of constitutional re-engineering.
Taiwan
Assembly Passes Changes
(BBC, June 7, 2005) Taiwan's National Assembly has approved important constitutional changes
which supporters say will strengthen the island's democracy.
DPP Seeks to Overturn NA
Bill Passed Last Week
(China Post, May 23, 2005) The ruling DPP
decided to overturn legislation adopted requiring approval from at least
three fourths of the National Assembly members to pass any constitutional
amendment.
Chen's DPP wins Taiwan vote
for National Assembly
(AFP, May 15, 2005) Taiwan's independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won an
election for a 300-member assembly to decide on a package of constitutional
reforms set to test the limits of the island's China policy.
Referendum Law Review
Postponed
(Taiwan News, Dec. 2, 2004) The Cabinet decided
not to review draft amendments to the Referendum Law at its weekly meeting,
but denied the move was made under pressure from the United States.
Chen Calls for Trust in
Relations with U.S.
(China Post, Dec. 2, 2004) President Chen said Taipei and Washington should trust each
other, a day after the United States raised concern over
his remarks that appeared to contradict his previous pledge.
Chen Shui-bian Says He Will
Stick to His `Four Noes' Promise (Taipei Times, Dec.
1, 2004) President Chen Shui-bian reaffirmed that he will uphold the pledges
he made in his inaugural speech this year and Oct. 10 National Day address.
US Cautions Taiwan Leader
over Moves to Frame New Constitution (AFP, Nov. 30, 2004) The United States cautioned Taiwan's President Chen
Shui-bian against any attempt to frame a new constitution for the island,
reminding him of a promise he made to maintain status quo in relations with China.
DPP Poll Win Will Terminate
'Chinese Constitution:' Chen
(China Post, Nov. 28, 2004) President Chen Shui-bian yesterday reiterated a
plan to make a new Constitution for the country to end what he called
opposition-instigated political chaos.
China Threatens Taiwan Over
Constitution
(AP, July 30, 2004) A senior Chinese
official warned that Beijing won't rule out war
with Taiwan if the island's
president pursues his plan to adopt a new constitution by 2008.
Taiwan Promises to Refrain
from Provoking China
(Straits Times, July 27, 2004) Top policymaker
insists ruling DPP will not push for referendum on Constitution even if it
wins majority in elections.
Lee Launches Push for New
Constitution
(China Post, July 2, 2004) Former President Lee
Teng-hui said Taiwan should drop the title
of Republic of China at the launch of a social movement pushing for a new
Constitution.
Constitution Concerns US:
Official
(Taipei Times, July 1, 2004) The new deputy
representative to the US says that revising
the Constitution is something that worries Uncle Sam, but relations are going
better now.
Constitution Reform to Get
Push
(Taipei Times, June 21, 2004) A number of groups
held a press conference to announce that they'll be pushing hard for a
revision to the charter document.
Chen Says Defend 'New
Constitution'
(China Post, June 17, 2004) In an address on the
80th founding anniversary of the military academy, President Chen said he
would deliver a "new Constitution" Taiwan's armed forces have
to defend.
AIT Official Says U.S.
Support of New Constitution Has Its Limits (Taiwan News, Apr. 27, 2004) The deputy director of the American Institute in Taiwan warned against making any attempt to declare independence in a
new constitution.
Taiwan Denies Independence
Talk
(BBC, Apr. 23, 2004) Taiwan
has denied that plans to amend its constitution are a step towards
independence from China.
'New Constitution' Means
Timetable for Taiwan Independence: Official (Xinhua News, Apr. 14, 2004) A
Taiwan affairs official of China's State Council warned that the Taiwan leader's plan to hatch up a "new constitution" will
result in tensions and danger in the Taiwan Straits.
A
Pragmatic Constitutional Solution By Chen Ming-tong
(Taipei Times, Apr. 5, 2007) The reason for calling
the constitution "The Second Republic of the ROC" is to show the
continuity of the ROC, by calling it the "first republic" and
maintaining the nation's unchanging identity.
Taiwan's Chen Faces
Criticism for Moves on New Constitution
(AFP, Sep.
26, 2006) Shih Ming-teh, a former ally of
Chen now leading a campaign to oust him, said the president had done
everything he could to offset mounting protests, adding Monday: "What
I'm worried about is that when cornered, he may announce independence for Taiwan."
US Worried About
Constitutional Reform
(Taipei Times, May 19, 2006) Presidential Office Secretary-General Mark Chen
said that issues relating to Taiwan's constitutional reforms are what concern
the US the most. He made the remarks during a gathering with Taiwanese
journalists in Washington.
Post Interview With Taiwan's
Leader
(Washington Post, Mar. 13, 2006) “To better facilitate governance as well as
to enhance our national competitiveness, we need to review those parts of our
Constitution that are not timely, relevant, or viable, and it is only natural
for a democratic country to revise its constitution.”
Taiwan's Chen Testing
China's Patience By Benjamin
Kang Lim
(Reuters, Mar. 13, 2006) Beijing's patience with Taiwan's independence-leaning president could snap if the island adopts
a new constitution, a senior Chinese adviser said.
Chen's
Remaining Three Objectives By Nat Bellocchi
(Taipei Times, June 21, 2005) He has three domestic objectives during his rest tenure. If one
includes external affairs, which would include cross-strait matters, the task
before him is almost impossible.
Taiwan Constitution Vote May
Ease China Tensions, Analysts Say (Bloomberg, June 9, 2005) Taiwan's constitutional changes passed
this week could help ease tensions with China as they made it more difficult
for the island to declare independence.
Taiwan
Raises Legal Standards for Move toward Independence By Edward Cody (Washington
Post, June 8, 2005) Taiwan revised its constitution Tuesday to shrink the
size of parliament by half, streamline election rules and set difficult
standards for any constitutional amendment that would move the island toward
independence.
Analysts See New Uncertainty
after Taiwan's Constitutional Changes (AFP, June 7, 2005) Taiwan's
approval of a controversial constitutional reform package will add
uncertainty but will not lead to a dramatic downturn in recently-improving
relations with China,
analysts say.
Few in Taiwan Bother to Vote
on Constitutional Assembly By Keith Bradsher (New York Times, May 15, 2005)
Elections in Taiwan
for delegates to a constitutional assembly drew the lowest turnout of any
islandwide elections in recent Taiwanese history. Most voters ignored the
balloting although it could have a bearing on relations with China.
Taiwan Dances on Tightrope By I-wei J. Chang
(Washington Times, July 30, 2004) "The constitution is not the issue. The reason we are now
seeing increased hostility is not because of ... the constitution or the
revised constitution. The problem, from Beijing's perspective, is His Eminence Chen Shui-bian," Alan Wachman
said.
An Updated Constitution
Nothing To Be Afraid Of By Hsiao Bi-khim
(Taipei
Times, May 15, 2004) Plans to reform Taiwan's
constitution should not be considered an attempt to change Taiwan's status
quo as an independent, sovereign country.
Taiwan Casts U.S. as China
Intermediary By Joseph Kahn
(New York Times, Apr. 28, 2004 ) President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan
is pressing the Bush administration to approve his plans to change the
island's Constitution, casting the United States as an intermediary in the most delicate issue dividing China
and Taiwan.
U.S. Cautions Taiwan on
Independence By Glenn
Kessler
(Washington Post, Apr. 22, 2004) The Bush
administration, in its first broad response to vows by Taiwan's recently reelected president to craft a constitution, warned Taiwan that unilateral moves toward independence could prompt a Chinese
military response.
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