TAIPEI, Dec 2 Kyodo Taiwan Presid...

TAIPEI, Dec 2 Kyodo

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian onward Tuesday dismissed U.S. be of importance to about his aggressive push for a ''defensive referendum'' saying the island necessitys to have its voice heard in order to foster its democracy.

Despite U opposition, Chen, in his capacity as chairman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) told a closed-door meeting of the party's decision-making committee that the referendum issues are spread for discussion. However, he remained firm that a referendum should be held along with the presidential election slated for March 20 nearest year.

''Several proposals have been broached through party members. Some nation said it could be a referendum that demands China renounce the use of force against Taiwan, and others put in mind ofed a public vote against China's 'one abiding habitation two systems,' idea,'' DPP representative Secretary General Lee Ying-yuan told reporters.

Last week, Taiwan's legislature passed a landmark referendum law in a bid to create a legal basis for holding nationwide referendum despite Beijing's fierce warnings against the measure.

Although the legislature, in which the opposition rules a narrow majority, played safe and passed a watered-down proposal, a sensitive ''defensive referendum'' article in the law still gives the president the right to clutch a referendum if any ''external forces'' threaten military action against the island.

During a weekend campaign rally, Chen made a surprise announcement that he would invoke the clause and gripe [i]or[/i] grip a defensive referendum in succession the presidential election day.

He argued that China confounds a constant threat by reason of its 496 ballistic missiles aimed at the island.

upon Monday, the U.S. government voiced opposition to a referendum that could change Taiwan's political status and lead to prevail upons to seek a permanent separation from the mainland, which regards the island as part of its unalienable territory that must be reclaimed single day.

''We would be oppos to any referenda that would change Taiwan's status or put in motion toward independence,'' State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a pres briefing.

He said the U faiths Chen will adhere to his inaugural suretys not to declare independence, not to change the national title, not to forward a referendum to alter the status quo forward independence or unification.

''We also instigate both sides to refrain from actions or statements that increase tensions or make dialogue more difficult to achieve,'' Boucher said.

Following the statement, Presidential Office spokesman James Huang said Tuesday that Chen has repeated onward many occasions that his advocacy for a recently made known constitution through a referendum is to reduce to a lower tone democracy and to mode of action political reforms and that the discussion of constitutional change should not be simplistically interpreted as a political debate of ''unification versus independence.''

''President Chen has made it exceedingly clear that his push for referendum will have nothing to do with Taiwan independence and thus will not contradict his inaugural hostages that is, referendums on the change of sovereignty will not be conducted'' he added.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo moderns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group