RULE OF LAW?The party said Taiwan’s reputation was at stake, as it filed a complaint with the Control Yuan alleging illegal practices over the ban
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday filed a complaint with the Control Yuan alleging “illegal practices” by government agencies after its application to hold a referendum on the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) was rejected.
The party demanded an investigation into the Central Election Commission, the Referendum Review Committee and the Ministry of the Interior in the complaint, which was filed yesterday afternoon by TSU Secretary-General Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉).
The TSU filed an administrative lawsuit in the Taipei High Administrative Court after its application for a referendum on the ECFA was vetoed by the committee last year.
The party then filed an appeal with the Supreme Administrative Court, which overruled the lower court’s ruling and ordered the referendum committee to review the application.
Lin said that although the committee scheduled a hearing for July 19, committee chairman Chao Yung-mau (趙永茂) should have canceled it because committee members who attended the meeting were less than half of the required number to form a quorum.
As for the Central Election Commission, Lin said it had violated Article 60 of the Referendum Act (公民投票法) by asking for a review. The article states that there can be no appeal for the review of a referendum.
Lin said these illegal practices had taken away the right to hold a referendum and tarnished Taiwan’s reputation as a country ruled by law. By filing the complaint, the TSU hopes the Control Yuan will hold responsible officials accountable, he added.