A referendum held in conjunction with local government elections on Saturday proposed lowering the voting age from 20 to 18. However, Central Election Commission (CEC) data showed that votes fell short of the threshold — almost 9.62 million “yes” votes needed to pass — as only 5.65 million voters backed the proposed constitutional amendment, while 5.02 million voters opposed it.
Prior to the results, the Taiwan Alliance for Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare, the Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy and other civil groups had argued that if people face obligations such as paying taxes and compulsory military service at 18 years old, they should also be given the right to vote.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) found the referendum result regrettable. The DPP said its candidates had seized every opportunity to urge supporters to back the proposed amendment in public events over the past few months, while the KMT said it respects the decision of voters and that its support for lowering the voting age remains unchanged.
There are several reasons for the referendum’s failure. The first is the relatively low voter turnout and the high threshold for the proposal’s passage. The average voter turnout rate across cities has been about 66 percent, yet it fell to a new low of 61.22 percent this year. Reaching the threshold of 9.62 million votes is incredibly ambitious. In Taiwan, presidential elections tend to have the highest turnout rate. Even President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who won a landslide victory with a record-breaking 8.17 million votes in 2018, would have fallen short of the goal by 1.49 million votes. This showcases the challenge of amending the Constitution.
Second, political parties did not exert enough effort in promoting the referendum. As the Executive Yuan and the CEC announced the referendum in September, political parties across the spectrum were not given much time to talk to the public about it. In contrast with their efforts to promote last year’s four referendum questions, there was no comprehensive approach to introduce the issue this year. With the parties concentrating on the mayoral campaigns, addressing scandals and even mudslinging, the referendum was marginalized. The straightforward nature of the question also failed to generate debate in society, which led to public indifference.
Third, ideology influenced the outcome. The result shows that Taiwan is essentially a conservative society. Having not yet broken free of the shackles of the former KMT government’s autocratic rule, the obsolete ideas of deference and obedience to authority still loom in some people’s minds. With one side believing that 18-year-olds are still too young to vote, not to mention run for office, and the other side having faith in the judgement of young people, there was a clash of ideology. Furthermore, as some voters believe that young people tend to favor the DPP, their disapproval of the ruling party might have made them cast “no” votes.
Taiwan is one of the very few democratic countries to have maintained a voting age of 20, while neighboring countries, such as South Korea and Japan, have in recent years lowered the voting age to 18. Taiwan must jump on the bandwagon. It needs to let go of its “age bias” and invite young people to engage in politics. Young people’s voices are fundamental to the development and consolidation of Taiwan’s democracy.
There is a modern roadway stretching from central Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa, to the partially recognized state’s Egal International Airport. Emblazoned on a gold plaque marking the road’s inauguration in July last year, just below the flags of Somaliland and the Republic of China (ROC), is the road’s official name: “Taiwan Avenue.” The first phase of construction of the upgraded road, with new sidewalks and a modern drainage system to reduce flooding, was 70 percent funded by Taipei, which contributed US$1.85 million. That is a relatively modest sum for the effect on international perception, and
At the end of last year, a diplomatic development with consequences reaching well beyond the regional level emerged. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign state, paving the way for political, economic and strategic cooperation with the African nation. The diplomatic breakthrough yields, above all, substantial and tangible benefits for the two countries, enhancing Somaliland’s international posture, with a state prepared to champion its bid for broader legitimacy. With Israel’s support, Somaliland might also benefit from the expertise of Israeli companies in fields such as mineral exploration and water management, as underscored by Israeli Minister of
When former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) first took office in 2016, she set ambitious goals for remaking the energy mix in Taiwan. At the core of this effort was a significant expansion of the percentage of renewable energy generated to keep pace with growing domestic and global demands to reduce emissions. This effort met with broad bipartisan support as all three major parties placed expanding renewable energy at the center of their energy platforms. However, over the past several years partisanship has become a major headwind in realizing a set of energy goals that all three parties profess to want. Tsai
An elderly mother and her daughter were found dead in Kaohsiung after having not been seen for several days, discovered only when a foul odor began to spread and drew neighbors’ attention. There have been many similar cases, but it is particularly troubling that some of the victims were excluded from the social welfare safety net because they did not meet eligibility criteria. According to media reports, the middle-aged daughter had sought help from the local borough warden. Although the warden did step in, many services were unavailable without out-of-pocket payments due to issues with eligibility, leaving the warden’s hands
RSS