The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said that it would start collecting signatures to initiate a referendum against the government’s decision to allow imports of US pork containing ractopamine.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Aug. 28 announced that Taiwan would ease restrictions on imports of US pork containing ractopamine and beef from cattle aged 30 months or older, adding that the decision is “based on our national economic interests and consistent with our overall strategic goals for the future.”
The new policies are to take effect on Jan. 1 next year.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday led dozens of KMT representatives at a news conference outside the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei during lunch break at the party’s National Congress to announce the launch of the referendum drive.
They chanted slogans including “Safeguard democracy, protect Taiwan,” “Reject leanness enhancing additives,” and “Support Taiwanese pork,” while holding signs bearing similar messages.
Tsai made the decision to allow the importation of US pork and beef without legislative supervision, communication with the public or local governments, or regard for the development of the local industry, Chiang said.
“President Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected with 8.17 million votes,” he said. “She thinks she can do as she pleases.”
“We must call on all people to stand up,” Chiang said, adding: “You [the public] gave her authorization, you can also take back the power.”
The KMT would on Saturday initiate a referendum petition in the nation’s various cities and counties, he said.
The proposed referendum question would read: “Do you agree to a total ban on the importation of pork and related products containing leanness enhancing additives (ractopamine and other beta agonists)?” the KMT said.
Speaking at the news conference, Yunlin County Commissioner Chang Li-shan (張麗善) of the KMT said that there are 1.56 million pigs in the county, or nearly 40 percent of the nation’s total number.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has said that circumstances have changed when it explained the reason for allowing US pork and beef imports, Chang said.
What has changed is that the DPP used to be the opposition party, but is now the ruling party, she added.
“What is the only thing that has not changed? It is that US pork containing leanness enhancing additives harms bodily health,” she added.
Chang pledged that her county would continue to ban ractopamine even if the central government sets maximum residue limits “to safeguard the health of the public.”
Under the Referendum Act (公民投票法), referendums can be held every two years, with the next possible date being Aug. 28, next year.
To hold a national referendum, a number equal to 1.5 percent of voters in the most recent presidential election must sign a petition supporting the referendum proposal.
There were 19,311,105 eligible voters in the Jan. 11 presidential election, according to Central Election Commission data.
Additional reporting by CNA
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS