In its first-ever meeting, the Cabinet's referendum review committee unveiled a measure yesterday to counter the possibility that local governments will refuse to go along with plans to hold a national referendum.
Local and regional government workers would be key to the actual process of distributing and collecting ballots in a referendum, and local government offices would normally be a place where such voting was conducted.
But many local leaders sympathetic to the pan-blue camp have said they would not cooperate with any government plans to hold such a vote.
Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (
"As a responsible government, we launched the referendum operation mechanism today in accordance with existing laws," Lin quoted Minister without Portfolio Hsu Chih-hsung (
Hsu is the head of the 14-member committee.
As for what subject or subjects would be covered by a referendum, Lin said that the Cabinet is open to holding a vote on any issue of public concern.
"In addition to such talked-about issues as the nation's entry into the World Health Organization, the fate of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and legislative reform, we welcome any other topics on public policies," Lin said.
It is estimated that the committee may need to mobilize 3,650 people as there are 160 non-DPP local and regional governments.
As for the voting venues, the committee could borrow public high schools, vocational schools, universities and temples, Lin said
The Central Election Commission, which would conduct the referendum, is responsible for supervising its local offices to make sure they carry out the plan.
The Cabinet can entrust private organizations to do the job if the commission's local offices refuse to comply.
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