Except for one, the 10 referendums held yesterday would be little more than a NT$1.5 billion (US$48.54 million) survey, as nine would not be legally binding on the government if they passed, attorney Lu Chiou-yuan (呂秋遠) said on Friday.
“If they pass, the government would consider them. If they fail to pass, that would not mean the government would not consider them,” he posted on Facebook.
The exception is Referendum No. 16, which asks people about overturning the policy to phase out nuclear energy by 2025, because it asks whether voters agree to abrogate Article 95-1 of the Electricity Act (電業法), meaning the article would be nullified if the plebiscite is passed, he wrote.
GRAPHIC: TT
The other nine would not impose any legal liability on the government if it refused to act on the results, as that would only cost it political credibility, he wrote.
“Therefore, make your choices wisely and tell the government what you think, but do not be overly worried, all they amount to is a NT$1.5 billion survey,” he wrote.
Yet “even with their high cost, I think they are priceless,” he wrote. “At least we get to express our opinions and engage in discussions with our family, friends and even strangers before making decisions.”
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
“This is the best thing anyone could ask for in the making of a sensible citizen,” he wrote.
The referendums, which he described as “a general IQ test” and survey, would also reflect people’s values and way of thinking when faced with controversial issues, Lu wrote, adding that independent thinking is the most significant aspect of a referendum.
US climber Alex Honnold is to attempt to scale Taipei 101 without a rope and harness in a live Netflix special on Jan. 24, the streaming platform announced on Wednesday. Accounting for the time difference, the two-hour broadcast of Honnold’s climb, called Skyscraper Live, is to air on Jan. 23 in the US, Netflix said in a statement. Honnold, 40, was the first person ever to free solo climb the 900m El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park — a feat that was recorded and later made into the 2018 documentary film Free Solo. Netflix previewed Skyscraper Live in October, after videos
Starting on Jan. 1, YouBike riders must have insurance to use the service, and a six-month trial of NT$5 coupons under certain conditions would be implemented to balance bike shortages, a joint statement from transportation departments across Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan announced yesterday. The rental bike system operator said that coupons would be offered to riders to rent bikes from full stations, for riders who take out an electric-assisted bike from a full station, and for riders who return a bike to an empty station. All riders with YouBike accounts are automatically eligible for the program, and each membership account
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern Taiwan, and the eastern half of Taiwan proper, with isolated brief showers forecast along Keelung’s north coast, Taipei and New Taipei City’s mountainous areas and eastern Taiwan, it said. Lows of 11°C to 15°C are forecast in central and northern Taiwan, Yilan County, and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and 14°C to 17°C
RSS