The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would only push for the two referendum items initiated by the party’s lawmakers, and it would respect and assist, but not support, the other two referendum proposals brought by civic groups, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday.
On the ballot on Dec. 18 are to be questions on banning the importation of pork containing traces of the leanness-enhancing additive ractopamine, relocation of a liquefied natural gas terminal to protect algal reefs off Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音), activating the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮) and holding referendums alongside elections.
KMT Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) spearheaded the proposal on pork imports and KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) initiated the motion on referendums.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Yilan County Commissioner Lin Tzu-miao (林姿妙) of the KMT on Friday said she opposes allowing the commercial operation of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant without any safety guarantees.
KMT Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), widely seen as the party’s greatest prospect for a Taipei mayoral candidate, also said that without security guarantees in place, the nuclear plant should not see commercial operation.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has launched a nationwide campaign, with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who doubles as party chairperson, urging people to vote “no” in all four referendums.
Chu had last week called on the public to vote “yes” on all four referendums, but yesterday seemed to have changed his stance, saying that the KMT would prioritize the two referendum questions proposed by its lawmakers.
Chu also commented on China on Friday placing an entry ban on Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), Legislative Yuan Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) for supporting Taiwanese independence and threatening criminal prosecution should they travel to China.
Asked by reporters, Chu said Beijing has used a law that is only valid in China to blacklist Taiwanese government officials.
The law is irrelevant to Taiwan, as Taiwanese always side with freedom of speech and democracy, he said.
The KMT would do whatever it can to protect Taiwan in a peaceful manner, in contrast to what he described as the DPP’s leveraging of anti-China sentiment.
Additional reporting by CNA
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