The Central Election Commission (CEC) yesterday approved one of two public referendum questions proposed by opposition lawmakers in the Legislature Yuan, but was harshly criticized by the opposition for rejecting the other proposal.
The submission that was approved was a question on whether the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant should resume operations, provided it is deemed safe by the relevant authorities. The vote is scheduled for Aug. 23, 2025.
The rejected proposal asked whether judges should be allowed to impose the death penalty without a unanimous verdict.
Photo: Lee Wen-hsin, Taipei Times
According to the CEC, that proposal was not allowed because it contradicted a constitutional court ruling in 2024 requiring unanimous decisions for death sentences.
In addition, the proposal does not qualify as a major policy issue under the Referendum Act (公民投票法), the CEC said in a statement.
Referendums initiated by the Legislature must follow the Referendum Act and can only address the creation or repeal of major policies, the agency said.
The death penalty proposal, it said, was deemed to be an attempt to change fundamental legal principles, which is outside the legal scope of referendums.
In contrast, the nuclear energy proposal deals with energy policy and fits within the rules for referendums. The plant stopped operating on May 17, and the vote will decide whether it can restart.
The referendum will be held nationwide on Aug. 23, from 8 am to 4 pm, and will be listed as Referendum Case No. 21, the CEC said.
The CEC insisted that it is an independent body that must ensure all referendum proposals follow the law, even when submitted by the Legislature.
In response, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) condemned the CEC for rejecting the proposed referendum on the death penalty, accusing the commission of “acting unlawfully and serving as a political tool.”
In a statement, the KMT caucus said the Referendum Act does not grant the CEC or other administrative bodies the power to conduct “politically motivated reviews of proposals” submitted by the Legislative Yuan, calling the decision a “blatant abuse of power.”
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
RSS