tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3444895069543408811.post4163385394634643150..comments2023-10-06T18:55:46.317+08:00Comments on That's Impossible! Politics from Taiwan: ECFA and political negotiations阿牛http://www.blogger.com/profile/08403972286057197709noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3444895069543408811.post-38077087138840158712009-03-13T20:42:00.000+08:002009-03-13T20:42:00.000+08:00Sorry, I forgot to include the source of the secon...Sorry, I forgot to include the source of the second quotation -- the one of Liu Te-shun. That was in The 6 March Taipei Times.Tommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13552370490869601403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3444895069543408811.post-86447213758731369722009-03-13T20:40:00.000+08:002009-03-13T20:40:00.000+08:00I also think the administration is trying to avoid...I also think the administration is trying to avoid the referendum issue. But they are doing it by claiming that a referendum is not necessary in this case.<BR/><BR/>I think that saying that the ECFA does not require a referendum because it is not a political treaty does in fact make the implication that political treaties can be subject to a referendum. <BR/><BR/>Taiwan News, 11 March:<BR/>"Liu added there was no need for a nationwide referendum about the ECFA because the issue didn't touch on politics. The premier's statement confirmed the government stance, going against protests from the opposition that the accord will damage Taiwan's sovereignty and independence as a nation."<BR/><BR/>"MAC Deputy Minister Liu Te-shun [different guy](劉德勳) said it was too early to hold a debate on the issue because the council was still soliciting opinions from the pubic and government agencies.<BR/><BR/>Nor was it the best time to hold a referendum, he said, because the accord was an economic issue and until its framework was set it was premature to discuss whether its fate should be decided by a popular vote."<BR/><BR/>I am almost positive Ma and Lai have said this as well. Economic issues supposedly don't require referendums. So what of the political ones? That excuse won't work once they start political negotiations.Tommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13552370490869601403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3444895069543408811.post-27679517826285916212009-03-13T17:15:00.000+08:002009-03-13T17:15:00.000+08:00Have they really implied that political agreements...Have they really implied that political agreements are referendum worthy subjects? My general impression is they are avoiding that topic altogether.阿牛https://www.blogger.com/profile/08403972286057197709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3444895069543408811.post-56147753696683480402009-03-13T16:49:00.000+08:002009-03-13T16:49:00.000+08:00The whole Ma administration has been doing a vigor...The whole Ma administration has been doing a vigorous gig in the last two weeks to convince everyone that the ECFA negotiations are not political. I am interested in seeing how they will dance when the real political negotiations start. <BR/><BR/>Remember that the message we have been getting for weeks is that non-political negotiations don't require referendums. This may bite the Ma admin in the rear when they do start political negotiations, which, by their admission, are referendum worthy subjects.Tommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13552370490869601403noreply@blogger.com