Residents on the outlying island of Kinmen may soon go to the polls to decide whether the defense outpost will allow the construction of casinos.
The prospect became more likely on Thursday, when a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) official filed a petition with the Kinmen County Government to hold a referendum on legalizing gaming in Kinmen and allowing the establishment of tourist casinos.
Chen Chang-chiang (陳滄江) said he did not file the petition in his capacity as head of the DPP’s Kinmen chapter, but as convener of the organizing committee of a Kinmen County tourism industry promotion association.
To back his petition, Chen produced 460 signatures endorsing the proposal.
“According to the Referendum Act [公民投票法], the casino referendum petition needs formal endorsement by at least 0.5 percent of eligible voters in the latest county commissioner’s election, which is 354 signatures in this case, “ Chen said.
A county government official received the petition and signatures from Chen and promised to pass them to the Kinmen County Election Commission for processing.
If the petition passes the screening, Chen’s association plans to launch another signature campaign to qualify for putting the proposal to a referendum.
Chen said the move had nothing to do with the DPP’s position on casinos on Kinmen.
The DPP opposes legalizing casinos on outlying islands.
Chen added that his petition did not imply that he supported the casino plans.
“My move just signifies my belief that the issue should be determined by the majority of local residents instead of by a few politicians based on their personal stance or ideology,” he said, adding that the county government has been reluctant to address the issue.
Gambling has long been banned in Taiwan, but the Legislative Yuan passed legislation on Jan. 12 to legalize casino gambling on outlying islands.
The offshore county of Penghu is scheduled to hold a referendum on whether to allow casinos to be built there on Sept. 26.
Chen said that although Kinmen lagged behind Penghu in launching its drive, his association had managed to collect more than enough signatures to endorse a referendum in just three days.
“The promptness indicates that local residents do not reject the proposal to permit the establishment of tourist casinos,” he said.
Chen said Lawrence Ho (何猷龍), the son of Macau gaming tycoon Stanley Ho (何鴻燊), toured Kinmen on Aug. 7 to get a sense of the county’s business environment and expressed keen interest in tapping the market.
“It is generally believed that Kinmen residents will approve the casino business if a referendum is held,” Chen said. “Given a fast thawing in relations across the Taiwan Strait, it seems to me that Kinmen stands a better chance than Penghu in operating tourist casino businesses.”
Kinmen, composed of 12 islets, was a frontline island amid hostilities between Taiwan and China in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when it was the target of intense shelling from China. The number of troops stationed in Kinmen has since dwindled and tourism has become the backbone of its economic activities.
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