The China Post news staff
The ruling party wants a one-stop distribution of four blank ballots: two for the elections and the other two for referendums.
On the other hand, the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) insists on issuing the ballots at two stops, in which voters will receive two ballots for the elections at the first stop, vote, and then proceed to the second to obtain and cast as many ballots for the referendums.
With the escalation of the dispute, President Chen Shui-bian, who doubles as DPP chairman, has condemned the two-stop distribution as unconstitutional and threatened to postpone the elections scheduled for Jan. 12 next year.
In a campaign rally held in Taipei County last night, Chen said someone had suggested to him that the government do one of the following to end the impasse: declaring martial law, invalidating election results in cities/counties using the two-step method, appointing new heads to local election boards, and postponing the elections.
KMT standard bearer Ma Ying-jeou said President Chen "was in an angry mood" when he threatened to postpone or invalidate the elections.
"The president can't do so," Ma stressed, as only court judges can invalidate the elections. "So," he urged, "don't pay any attention. Don't take it seriously."
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin, meanwhile, brushed aside the threat yesterday. "We will do what we should do, according to the law," a defiant Hau pointed out, indicating that President Chen, a citizen of Taipei, will have to get his four ballots at two stops. Chen had earlier dared Hau to force him to make two stops.
Su Chun-pin, KMT spokesman, said he doesn't understand why the ruling party is "adamantly opposed" to the two-stop distribution.
"As a matter of fact, the one-stop distribution may even prove advantageous to the KMT," Su said.
The ruling party is pushing for a one-stop distribution to boost voter turnout for the referendums by requiring the voters to make just one stop to receive all four blank ballots.
To be valid, a referendum has to be voted on by at least half of the electorate. Two referendums held alongside the presidential election of 2004 were invalidated because they lacked an absolute majority.
One of the two referendums to be held with the parliamentary elections scheduled for Jan. 12 next year was proposed by the ruling party for the recovery of what it calls the "ill-gotten" assets of the KMT.
Recovery of the assets is one of Hsieh's top campaign issues for the presidential election, which is scheduled for March 22 next year.
Just as the DPP wants to have its referendum adopted, "So do we want ours to pass," said Su. The KMT has proposed a referendum against government corruption.
If more voters turn out, Su said, the chances of the KMT getting its anti-corruption referendum passed will increase. President Chen has been dogged by a spate of scandals involving himself, his wife, their son-in-law and his top assistants.
First lady Wu Shu-chen is standing trial for corruption, charged with borrowing invoices and receipts from friends and relatives to claim a NT$14.8 million reimbursement from a public fund under her husband's control for the conduct of "affairs of state."
Chen wasn't indicted, for he enjoys immunity against prosecution, but was considered an unindicted co-defendant who will be formally charged on leaving office. He steps down on May 20 next year.
In the coming elections, a voter will cast two ballots, one for a candidate and the other for a political party, to elect 79 regional lawmakers, one from each single constituency, and 34 others at large according to proportional representation. The latter will be chosen from among candidates recommended by parties.
Frank Hsieh, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate for president, is meanwhile calling for an end to the trading of charges for manipulation of ballot distribution in the coming legislative elections.
"We should solve the (ballot distribution) dispute by law," Hsieh urged at a campaign rally for a DPP candidate for the Legislative Yuan.
Founded under the Executive Yuan in 1982, the Central Election Commission (CEC) is in charge of calling and supervising elections, national as well as local. Under pressure from the president, it decided on the one-stop distribution.
But a compromise has to be reached to shelve the dispute, at least for the time being.
One possibility, in order to cater to voters who do not want to vote on the referendums, is a narrow lane being marked between the two desks in a polling station.
The two desks are placed next to each other to be regarded as one stop. Voters who choose only to elect legislators go straight to a vote-marking enclosure, where they mark the ballots, and then cast them. Enabling them to refuse ballots for the referendums simultaneously with the other two ballots satisfies the demands of proponents of the two-stop distribution.
Those who want to vote on the referendums stay back to receive the two referendum ballots at the other desk and proceed to vote. Such an arrangement would meet the one-stop requirement.
Should this compromise be adopted, President Chen will be able to receive all four blank ballots at almost the same time.