The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is planning a rally and “sleepover” at Taipei’s Liberty Square on the day before the Dec. 18 referendum vote in hopes of bolstering voter turnout, a party source said yesterday.
Two of next month’s four referendum questions were proposed by KMT members. KMT Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) spearheaded a referendum on the importation of pork containing traces of ractopamine, while former KMT chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) advanced one asking voters if they agree that referendums should be held on the same day as nationwide elections.
The other two referendums concern activating the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮) and relocating a natural gas terminal to protect algal reefs off Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音).
Photo: CNA
In addition to a Dec. 12 rally on Taipei’s Ketagalan Boulevard by civic groups supporting the relocation of the natural gas terminal and restarting construction on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, the KMT is planning to hold an event on Dec. 17 at Liberty Square in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, a source within the party said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Major party figures were expected to attend the Dec. 17 rally, including former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), and the event would last through the night until the morning when voting is to start, the source said, adding that KMT members would make one last call to increase voter turnout before heading to the polls themselves.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) would also lead party officials in staging a “sleepover” at the site, the source said.
While the Democratic Progressive Party has urged the public to vote “no” on all four referendum questions, a source in the KMT said the opposition party was confident that the two referendums put forth by KMT lawmakers would pass.
The KMT would be happy to see the algal reef referendum pass, and it would be a total win for the party if the nuclear power plant vote also went in its favor, the source said.
The KMT respects the opinions of its members regarding the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, the source said, adding that even if the referendum to activate the plant did not pass, the party would still consider it a win.
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