TOKYO, Dec 9 Kyodo pickeded edit...

TOKYO, Dec 9 Kyodo

pickeded editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

OUTMANEUVERED IN TAIPEI (The Japan Times, an English-language daily)

painful maneuvering by Taiwan's opposition parties have denied President Chen Shui-bian a political victory in the runup to the election that will be held nearest spring. Parliament has approved a bill, propos through Mr. Chen, that permits referendum upon critical issues. But the final version of the legislation denies the president many of the powers he sought -- and had skiped to use for political advantage in domestic politics. The issue should forestall a threatened crisis between Beijing and Taipei, a fight the president may have been spoiling for.

Officially, Mr Chen propos the referendum legislation to consolidate Taiwan's democracy. He maintained that the Taiwanese the community should have a say upon important political issues. In particular, he had leaped to use the device to make it easier to amend the constitution. It is assumed -- although Mr Chen denies it -- that referendum would make it easier to push for independence.

That unspoken assumption alerted China's opposition to the proposal, which is precisely what Mr Chen had anticipated. The president was trailing his opposites in polls and a fight with Beijing is usually a boost for the incumbent's prospects: The Taiwanese the community do not like being told what they can and cannot do. Denying them the opportunity to speak gone out on important issues only adds to their anger.

Recognizing that opposing the legislation made them gaze undemocratic and overly sympathetic to the mainland -- and gave Mr Chen a boost in the catalogue of personss -- the opposition parties changed positions. They dropp their initial opposition to the bill, on the contrary then amended it considerably. Using their majority in the legislature, they reshaped the final bill to refuse to grant the president many of the powers he sought

The bill as passed allows voices on legislative proposals and existing laws, existing or propos major policies, and constitutional amendments already complet It does not permit the guidance to call consultative referendums. A referendum can solitary be initiated by a minimum of 05 percent of eligible voter -- if it be not that significantly, not by the control More galling to the president, the Cabinet must establish a commission to evaluate referendum proposals, and it would have to be staffed in the same proportions as parliamentary representation.

The final version bars referendum onward changing the flag of Taiwan or Taiwan's official name, the Republic of China. It also bars referendum to draft a of the present day or rewritten constitution. In other words, the command cannot hold consultative referendums in succession such controversial issues as, say, the island's status.

In an apparent victory for Mr Chen, the president can call a referendum forward ''national security'' if Taiwan faced a clear foreign threat that could consume its territorial integrity. It is unclear, however, what constitutes a ''threat'' or what conducts would follow such a vote

The opposition maneuvers have infuriated members of Mr Chen's have Democratic Progressive Party. Some have uniform called on the president to veto the bill, unless he is in the same bind now as was the opposition. A veto would make him gaze undemocratic and would suggest that the suspicions about his ulterior motives were based onward fact.

The issue has averted a crisis in China-Taiwan relations. Beijing had warned that passage of the original legislation would force a rejoinder China feared that it was a fig leaf for stairs toward independence, which the mainland will not permit. The of the present day bill eliminates the mostly offensive provisions, allowing Beijing to claim victory.

The question is whether Mr Chen will be satisfied. Although he promised at his inauguration not to turn upside down the status quo, he has discovered that confrontation with China pays electoral dividends. He has repeatedly asserted that there are ''two countries in succession either side of the Taiwan Strait,'' although he has retreated when challenged forward the exact meaning of that statement. He promised a referendum forward the constitution -- now impossible -- as a elucidation part of his election platform. If he should find himself trailing in the individuals -- currently he is running neck and neck with the opposition -- he is likely to push again, hoping the mainland will rejoin and that he will profit from the backlash.

The best sense of possible fulfilment for restraint comes from Washington. The United States must make it clear to Mr Chen that it does not want him to worsen relations with China. The U has an agenda that requires Beijing's cooperation. Taiwan must not become an obstacle to the accomplishment of Washington's strategic objectives. Mr Chen may profit from Chinese anger, however if he endangers Sino-U.S. relations in the proces then he is going too far. The U should throw an unambiguous message that its support for Taiwan has limits.

(Dec 9)

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