Sunflower movement co-leader and Taiwan March convener Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) on Saturday praised an elderly volunteer for his efforts in aiding Taiwan March’s petition to reform the Referendum Act (公民投票法).
During a public forum held in Tainan by Taiwan March, Lin said Wang Hsi-ho (王溪河), 68, was instrumental to the campaign’s efforts in Tainan and contributed to its overall success in collecting 130,000 signatures in nine months.
Launched in September last year, the campaign is demanding the abolition of the 50 percent voter turnout threshold for referendums.
The group’s petition calls for a general referendum on the issue to be held along with the joint presidential and legislative elections in January next year.
Wang has aided Taiwan March’s campaign since December last year, devoting four nights per week to collecting signatures for the petition at various locations across Tainan — including Tainan Railway Station and several night markets.
Prior to his involvement with the group, Wang had a decade of experience as a participant in social movements and was among the 119 activists indicted for the Sunflower movement protests last year.
A tailor by profession, Wang said he joined the campaign in the spirit of introducing political reform by direct, hands-on involvement.
He said that he identified with the goals of the petition drive because of his belief that reforms to the Referendum Act were needed, saying that current “birdcage” legislation stops referendums from being ratified.
Lin said that Wang often worked alone, even when all other volunteers were busy, and lauded Wang for his diligence and devotion to the campaign.
By law, general referendums can be initiated by members of the public through a two-stage process: with two successive petitions requiring the support of about 90,000 and 900,000 signatories respectively.
After submitting its first-phase petition in March, Taiwan March is set to launch its second-phase campaign soon, Lin said.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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