The Central Election Commission has decided to postpone the four referenda originally scheduled for August 28 to December 18 due to the severity of the pandemic in Taiwan. The four referendum questions include holding referendums alongside general elections, safeguarding food safety by restricting ractopamine pork imports, ceasing the construction of the third liquefied natural gas terminal to protect algal reefs, and reactivating Taiwan’s fourth nuclear power plant.
The Kuomintang (KMT) held a press conference in the afternoon before the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) national headquarters in Taipei to urge the people to get out and vote on December 18.
At the press conference, young people handed out pamphlets with images of “Taiwan pork jerky” and “Little piggy banks” to promote the KMT’s ideas in opposing imports of pork containing ractopamine. “We hope everyone will purchase Taiwanese agricultural products and also support Taiwan pig farmers. On December 18th, we will vote together against imports of pork with residue of ractopamine,” stated the KMT.
The DPP once claimed that holding of referendum was the basic right of the people, but after taking power, it has restricted the people from exercising such a right. The DPP used to argue that imports of pork should contain no ractopamine whatsoever. Yet, the DPP is disregarding the food safety of the Taiwanese people.
The KMT believes that the people have the right to curb the reckless actions of those in power through holding of referendum in that the value of supervisory power will be demonstrated in a democratic society. It is regrettable that the DPP tends to confuse the public on purpose and stigmatizes referendum promotions on excuses related to epidemic prevention. This only reveals the fact that after assuming power, the DPP never cares about the people and tries everything it can to undermine the people’s power to check the government.
