A coalition of civic groups Wednesday rallied outside the Legislature in Taipei to drum up support for the drive to pass the referendum being held in tandem with the Nov. 26 local elections to lower both the legal voting age and the age of candidacy to 18.
The alliance is composed of the Environmental Juries Association (EJA), Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy (TYAD), Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association, Taiwan, and Environmental Rights Foundation (ERF).
As lowering the legal voting age and the age to run for public office requires a constitutional amendment, the referendum needs at least 9.65 million voters to vote in favor of it to pass, which is 50 percent of the total number of eligible voters nationwide, the groups said.
The age at which a Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan’s official title) national can vote is currently set at 20, while the age at which an ROC national can run for public office is 23.
TYAD President Chang Yu-meng (張育萌) said Taiwan’s political system significantly limits youth participation in politics, making it difficult for the voices of young people to be heard.
This issue can be resolved by lowering the voting age and the age of candidacy, he said.
Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association Attorney Tsai Ya-ying (蔡雅瀅) said that lowering the voting age will encourage youth participation in public issues, which would drive policymakers to better reflect the needs of younger generations.
ERF Attorney Lu Kuan-hui (呂冠輝) said several climate lawsuits in other nations were initiated by minors, but Taiwan’s citizenry seems indifferent on climate and carbon reduction issues.
At this critical juncture for mitigating the negative effects of climate change, political participation by young Taiwanese is more important than ever, he said.
EJA researcher Guo Meng-fei (郭孟斐) said young people have played a crucial role in social movements and reforms, but about 500,000 citizens aged 18-20 are denied the right to vote in the nine-in-one elections on Nov. 26.
She called on the public to take that “crucial first step” necessary to give younger generations the right to vote and participate in politics.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel