Monday, November 9, 2009

Referendum March - "The people are the masters” (人民做主)


Thanks to David and Demos for providing the info. 
Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) will lead a march around Taiwan calling for a referendum on any agreement between Taiwan and China and amendments to the Referendum Law. It will start in Taipei on 8 November and go around Taiwan for seven weeks, returning to Taipei on 27 December.
Taipei Times had some info today:
“The People’s Sovereignty Movement believes that cross-strait agreements concern the country’s sovereignty and the people’s welfare, and thus should be ratified by the people via referendums,” said Chen Li-chun (鄭麗君), a spokeswoman for the movement.

“We urge the public to demand that President Ma Ying-jeou [馬英九] initiate a referendum to ask the people if they agree that Taiwan should sign agreements with China under the ‘one China’ principle as stated in Article 17 of the Referendum Act,” she said. “The Executive Yuan should also propose amendments to the law so that it becomes a better tool of direct democracy.”

Article 17 of the law stipulates that the president may initiate a referendum if the country is under threat from an outside force or if its sovereignty may be compromised.

Chen Li-kuei (陳麗貴), a movement leader, urged more people to “say with our feet what we, the masters of the country, want.”