The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday reiterated calls for people to vote on Aug. 28 as it submitted to the Central Election Commission signatures it collected for two referendum petitions.
The Referendum Act (公民投票法) says that referendums are to be held once every two years on the fourth Saturday of August, which this year is Aug. 28.
KMT Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) is leading a petition to hold a referendum on whether the government should impose a complete ban on imports of meat, offal and related products from pigs given the leanness-enhancing additive ractopamine.
KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) has initiated a proposal to ask voters if they agree that referendums should be held on the same day as nationwide elections if an election is scheduled to take place within six months of a referendum being approved.
Chiang, Lin and other KMT members yesterday delivered more than 1 million signatures to the commission’s office in Taipei, the party said.
It was to submit 528,800 signatures for its “anti-ractopamine pork” referendum petition, and 522,050 for its petition on tying referendums to general elections, Chiang told reporters in front of the KMT’s headquarters.
“Oppose ractopamine pork. Safeguard food safety,” and “Fight for referendums on Aug. 28” he and other KMT members chanted before heading to the commission’s office.
Chiang told a news conference outside the office that the KMT was delivering “not just signatures,” but also the wishes and grievances of the people.
He urged the commission to be neutral, impartial, fair and transparent in its review of the signatures.
“Let the people use their votes to decide what kind of pork they want to eat ... and what kind of direct democracy we want,” he said.
More than 5 million people would need to vote in favor of the proposals for them to pass, he said.
At least one-quarter of eligible voters must vote in favor of a proposal in a referendum, with the number of “yes” votes exceeding the “no” votes, for it to pass.
Commission data showed that 19,311,105 people were eligible to vote in the presidential election on Jan. 11 last year.
Household registration authorities have 60 days to check the signatures, the commission said.
Additional reporting by Chien Hui-ju
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