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- What is the political basis for the ROC's system of government?
The government of the Republic of China is a representative
democracy. The ROC Constitution is based upon the political
philosophy of Dr. Sun Yat-sen as expressed in his lectures on
the Three Principles of the People-nationalism, democracy, and
people's well-being. Dr. Sun's founding principles for developing
a modern, prosperous nation echo Abraham Lincoln's statement:
"government of the people, by the people, for the people."
- What is the structure of the government?
The Constitution of the Republic of China has allowed Taiwan
to develop a modern democratic government based on the rule
of law, while incorporating some of the time-tested structural
features of traditional governments.
The national (or central) government is divided into five branches.
Each branch is called a yuan. In addition to the Executive,
Legislative, and Judicial Yuan, which function like their western
counterparts, the central government also has an Examination
Yuan and a Control Yuan.
The Examination Yuan is responsible for the selection, employment,
and management of all civil servants. The Control Yuan is the
highest supervisory organization of the state, exercising the
powers of impeachment, censure, and audit.
The National Assembly, after six constitutional amendments between
April 1991 and 2000, is now a non-standing body, whose functions
include voting on Constitution amendments, presidential impeachment,
or alteration of the national boundaries, as proposed by the
Legislative Yuan.
- How are the president and the premier chosen?
Eligible voters in the Taiwan area directly elect the president
of the Republic of China for a four-year term. Presidential
candidates choose their vice presidential running mates, and
the pair run on a single ticket. The first such popular election
was held in 1996, and the second in 2000. The premier, who is
appointed by the president, is the president of the Executive
Yuan and administers policies in consultation with the president
and the Legislative Yuan.
- What major changes in the government structure resulted
from the recent constitutional amendments?
The recent constitutional amendments gave the president of the
republic the power to appoint the premier without the confirmation
of the Legislative Yuan and to dissolve the Legislative Yuan
if it adopts a no-confidence vote against the premier. In return,
these amendments gave the Legislative Yuan the right to dismiss
the premier through a no-confidence vote and to submit to the
National Assembly a proposal to impeach the president or vice
president.
The revisions also reduced the number of administrative levels
of government, suspended elections for the Taiwan provincial
governor and provincial assembly, and significantly reduced
the size and functions of the provincial government. The amendments
promulgated in April 2000 further reorganized the National Assembly
into a non-standing body and transferred its powers to the Legislative
Yuan, including hearing the president's state of the nation
address and approving the president's nominations for grand
justices and the heads of the Examination and Control Yuans.
- What are the ROC's major political parties?
As of April 2002, a total of 97 political parties were registered
with the Ministry of the Interior. The Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP), which won the 2000 presidential election with 39.3
percent of the vote and received 33.38 percent of the vote in
the 2001 Legislative Yuan election, is the governing party and
the largest party in the Legislature. Founded in 1986, the DPP
now has approximately 450,000 members. At the end of 2001, 38.6
percent of the ROC legislators and nine county magistrates were
DPP members. The DPP suffered a split in December 1996 when
radical advocates for Taiwan independence left the party to
formally establish the Taiwan Independence Party.
The Kuomintang (KMT), which celebrated its 100th anniversary
in November 1994, is the second largest party in the Legislative
Yuan. The KMT currently has approximately 1.08 million members.
In March 2000, the KMT suffered a setback in the presidential
election and lost its governing power of five decades to the
Democratic Progressive Party. As a result of the defeat, the
KMT initiated a major reorganization, including re-registration
of its members. In 2001, the KMT lost its majority in the Legislative
Yuan, falling from 123 seats to 68, with only 28.56 percent
of the vote.
The third largest party in Taiwan is the People First Party
(PFP) founded by former Taiwan governor James Soong on March
31, 2000, following his second place finish in the 2000 presidential
election. A number of KMT legislators, who expressed support
for Soong during the election, have joined the PFP. The PFP
took an unprecedented move by opening membership to citizens
aged 16, two years younger than the minimum age required by
other parties. The PFP won 46 seats in the Legislative Yuan
with 18.57 percent of the vote in 2001.
The fourth major political party in Taiwan, based on its membership
in the Legislative Yuan, is the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).
With the endorsement of former President Lee Teng-hui, it attracts
supporters from the KMT, DPP, and other political groupings.
Although it was only founded in July 2001, it performed quite
well in the 2001 elections for legislators and won 13 seats
in the Legislative Yuan with 7.76 percent of the vote.
- How are civil rights protected in Taiwan?
The ROC Constitution guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms
for all citizens, such as the freedoms of speech, the press,
assembly, association, and religious belief. Numerous laws have
been enacted to provide specific protection for these rights.
The Chinese Association for Human Rights and numerous civic
organizations, especially women's groups and labor organizations,
have been very active in promoting civil rights awareness. The
status of civil rights in Taiwan is comparable to that of most
advanced democratic countries.
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