Taiwan's government was drafting legislation to abolish...

Taiwan's government was drafting legislation to abolish the death penalty, an unnamed cabinet official was reported as saying. Jointly drafted by the presidential office and the cabinet, the proposal was designed to protect basic human rights, the official said. "More than half of the draft has been completed so far, of which the gradual removal of death sentence was ratified," he said. In October 2002, President Chen Shui-bian announced that Taiwan would gradually phase out capital punishment. The presidential office said the move to abolish the death penalty would ensure the right to life to everyone, including convicted criminals.