The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday submitted to the Central Election Commission (CEC) more than 20,000 signatures backing its petition for a referendum on the importation of pork containing ractopamine, the party said.
The proposed referendum would ask voters if they agree that the government should impose a complete ban on the importation of meat, offal and related products from pigs fed leanness-enhancing agents, including ractopamine and other beta-agonists.
The KMT on Sept. 12 launched a nationwide drive to collect signatures for the referendum proposal after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Aug. 28 announced that Taiwan would ease restrictions on the importation of US pork containing ractopamine residue and beef from cattle aged 30 months or older.
Photo: CNA
The new policy is to take effect on Jan. 1 next year.
A group of KMT lawmakers and other members led by KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday delivered boxes filled with signed petitions to the CEC’s offices in Taipei.
The KMT also submitted signatures for a separate referendum proposal to ask voters if they agree that referendums should be held on the same day as nationwide elections, if a nationwide election is scheduled to be held one to six months after a referendum proposal has been approved.
Speaking outside the CEC’s offices, Chiang said that the KMT submitted 20,170 signatures for the “food safety referendum” and 12,519 signatures for the latter petition.
Chiang said he is the lead proposer of the referendum petition on holding referendums on the same day as nationwide elections, while KMT legislative caucus whip Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) is the lead proposer of the “food safety referendum.”
He urged the CEC not to block the proposals, as doing so would not only block the KMT and supporters of the proposed referendums, but also public opinion.
When indirect democracy has lost its function, referendums are a way to demonstrate direct democracy, he said.
Dressed in T-shirts bearing the words “No ractopamine pork,” Chiang and other KMT members chanted slogans including “The people want a referendum, support Taiwanese pork,” and “The people want health, no ractopamine pork” outside the CEC.
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 CEC data.
Additional reporting by CNA
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