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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Ma, Tsai spar on independence clause
President Ma Ying-jeou waves during the inauguration ceremony of new Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela on Tuesday in Panama City. Photo: AFP
MA’S TWO CENTS: Ma said there was no need for the DPP clause, as the ROC is already a sovereign state. Tsai said Ma should keep out of DPP matters and mind his own business
By Wang Yu-chung and Lee Hsin-fang / Staff reporters, in Panama and Taipei
President Ma Ying-jeou （馬英九） yesterday said that it is neither possible nor necessary to pursue Taiwanese independence because the Republic of China has been a sovereign state since its establishment in 1912.
Taiwanese independence is not an issue, so there is no need to place any emphasis on it, Ma said when questioned by reporters about a remark by Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） that it would take a long time for the party to settle the issue of its “Taiwan independence clause.”
It would be very difficult to sustain a friendly and tranquil cross-strait relationship if issues related to the pursuit of independence were not resolved, Ma said.
The issue of Taiwan’s independence was of concern not only to Taiwanese, but also to “people in the mainland [China]” because it is associated with nationalism, Ma said in Panama, where he arrived on Tuesday to attend the inauguration of Panamanian president-elect Juan Carlos Varela.
Because the government is self-ruled and headed by a democratically elected president and legislature, there is absolutely no need to promote Taiwanese independence, Ma said.
Back in Taipei, Tsai rebutted Ma’s comments.
“He is not the DPP chairman. President Ma should mind his own business. We will take care of ourselves. He doesn’t need to bother,” Tsai said.
The issue was initiated by some members of the party who said they would propose that the Taiwan independence clause be frozen at the upcoming party convention and that it did not deserve so much attention because the future of the nation should be decided by its 23 million people, DPP spokesperson Hsu Chia-ching （徐佳青） said.
Ma should put more effort into laying a better foundation to consolidate Taiwan’s sovereignty and to develop the country economically and culturally, Hsu said.
Meanwhile, former DPP chairman Hsu Hsin-liang （許信良） threw his support behind the initiative and suggested that the party’s Central Executive Committee table the motion at the party’s convention on July 20.
However, former premier Yu Shyi-kun （游錫?） disagreed, saying that pursuing Taiwanese independence has been one of the party’s core values since it was established in 1986.
“What’s the difference between the DPP and the Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） if that value is not upheld?” he asked. “More than 70 or 80 percent of the public professes Taiwanese identity. The Taiwan independence clause should remain there. There is no need to freeze it.”
Former premier Frank Hsieh （謝長廷） had no comment on the issue, saying he did not know the content of the proposal.
“It’s an issue tinged with politic whether it is adopted by the party convention or not. We had better have a talk on how to deal with the issue at a meeting of the Central Executive Committee before it goes before the party convention,” he said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
