Measures have been put into place that would enable military personnel to get time off on Saturday next week, to enable them to “exercise their voting rights as citizens” in the presidential and legislative elections, Ministry of National Defense (MND) officials said yesterday.
While contingents of military personnel are to remain on duty to deal with emergency situations, most members of the armed forces — including those performing their compulsory military service — are also to be allowed to take a “polling day leave” and go back to their home districts to vote, MND Joint Operation Division Director Major General Chong Shu-ming (鍾樹明) said.
“This measure permits military personnel to exercise their rights as citizens and vote in the election,” Chung said.
Among the exceptions to the measure are crews on warships engaged on scheduled patrols, special forces detachments deployed in mountainous areas and technical units operating the nation’s radar installations.
Chung said those who were to remain on active duty and therefore unable to cast their ballots numbered about 5,000.
This figure is the lowest-ever number of military personnel required to remain on active duty on the day of a presidential election, MND officials said.
The numbers have dropped rapidly in recent years, with the figure at about 57,000 for the 2004 presidential election, 10,500 in 2008 and 13,000 in 2012, MND data showed.
Officials said that the measure enabling polling day leave would apply equally to troops stationed on outlying islands such as Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, where provisions are to be made for soldiers requiring transport.
Chung assured the public that essential services would be retained at all military facilities over the next two weeks — including on election day — and that troops’ combat readiness and the nation’s security would not be compromised.
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