Political parties yesterday ramped up their referendum campaigns ahead of today’s vote, with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) asking supporters to vote “no” on all four questions, while the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) urged supporters to vote “yes.”
On the ballot are questions related to banning imports of pork containing the leanness-enhancing additive ractopamine, relocating a liquefied natural gas terminal project off Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音), restarting construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮) and holding referendums alongside elections.
The DPP last night held rallies on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei and at Dream Mall in Kaohsiung, with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Vice President William Lai (賴清德) and Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) attending both events.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Tsai said that casting “no” votes across the board would stabilize the nation’s development and prove that the government had made the correct policy decisions.
Su said the referendums were not about which political party was “one-upping” the other, but was instead a chance for Taiwanese to decide their fate.
He said that people should carefully consider their votes and the ramifications of the questions, adding that Taiwan would be a better place if everyone voted “no” on all questions.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Lai said that passing the referendums would not help Taiwan, adding that some of issues have dragged on for more than 20 years. By voting “no,” the public would be removing four boulders that have been blocking Taiwan’s path to becoming a globally connected nation.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday morning canvassed streets in Taichung to rally people to vote “yes” on all four questions.
Calling the KMT a natural ally of the people, Chu urged people to express their opinion on the government’s policies.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Chu and other major party figures last night attended the KMT’s Night Watch for Democracy event at Taipei’s Liberty Square, where they planned to stay throughout the night.
Media personality and Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) said that voters should not let the weather deter them from showing up to the polls.
Not voting is tacitly supporting Tsai and Su, Jaw said, adding that the referendum is a test of Tsai’s public support.
At one point, attendees at the event were led to turn on flashlights to symbolize their dissatisfaction with the government’s energy policies.
The Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) legislative caucus last night held rallies outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei and near Kaohsiung City Hall.
TPP officials said that they want the ruling party to know it cannot override public opinion just because it runs contrary to the government’s stance on the questions.
TPP Chairman and Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) urged people to discuss the issues with their close friends and families, and turn out to vote today.
Ko said voters should not think about political parties.
“You are voting for yourself,” he said.
A cold air mass is forecast to reduce temperatures in northern and northeastern Taiwan to as low as 12°C to 14°C today, the Central Weather Bureau said.
Daniel Wu (吳德榮), a former bureau director and professor of atmospheric sciences at National Central University, said that in northern Taiwan, lows of 10°C can be expected in low-lying areas in the early morning.
Additional reporting by Chen Yun, Lee Hsin-fang and CNA
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