The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Saturday kicked off a national campaign with President Tsai Ing-wen (???) urging voters to vote “no” in four upcoming referendums scheduled for Dec. 18.
The outcome of the referendums will dictate the future of Taiwan, Tsai said, calling on the public not to allow the national interest to be taken hostage by the narrow interests of the opposition party.
The country’s future cannot be sacrificed to party political interests, she added.
In the first rally held in Taoyuan as part of the national campaign, Tsai, accompanied by Premier Su Tseng-chang (???) and Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (???), said the upcoming referendums involve Taiwan’s energy development and the need to maximize national interest.
Tsai noted that two KMT-backed referendums involve a vote on the fate of the mothballed Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, which was initiated by advocate Huang Shih-hsiu (???), and the protection of a coastal algal reef in Taoyuan, initiated by environmentalist Pan Chong-cheng (???).
Tsai, who serves concurrently as chairwoman of the DPP, said the party’s position is not to restart the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, adding that doing so would cost the country more than 10 years and massive investment, adding that such efforts can be better used by focusing on renewable energy development.
The nuclear power plant was mothballed under former President Ma Ying-jeou (???) of the KMT in 2015 and its license has expired. In addition, she added raw material supplies for the plant have been suspended.
More important, Tsai said, there are safety concerns because the plant is located on fault lines and is geographically close to the urban areas of Taipei and New Taipei, the two largest cities in Taiwan.
Taiwan must have a stable energy development plan and cannot afford policies that are inconsistent, Tsai added.
As for the protection of a coastal algal reef in Taoyuan, Tsai said the state-run oil supplier CPC Corp., Taiwan, revised its plan for the third national gas receiving terminal in Longtan, Taoyuan after negotiating with environmental protection groups in a bid to create a situation that protects the algal reef and increases power supply for the economic development.
The KMT never previously expressed any concern over the algal reef in Taoyuan and is using the topic to hinder Taiwan’s energy development, Tsai said.
The president also talked about another referendum in favor of a ban on pork products containing ractopamine from the United States, saying the government is determined to tighten its checks on U.S. pork imports in a bid to protect the health of people in Taiwan.
Measures are in place to help pig farmers improve competitiveness at a time when pork imports are increasing, Tsai said.
The import of U.S. pork products containing ractopamine, allowed by the Tsai administration, is expected to pave the path for the government to enter into talks with the U.S. government on possibly signing a bilateral trade agreement, she added.
It is also critical for Taiwan as the country is seeking membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Tsai said.
As for the fourth referendum, Tsai criticized a KMT-backed proposal to overturn an amendment on election dates passed by the DPP-controlled Legislature in 2019.
The amendment, which banned the holding of referendums on the same day as major elections, has encountered opposition over concerns it would reduce turnout at future referendums.
However, Tsai said same-day elections are likely to bring a return to “chaos,” a reference to November 2018, when local elections and referendums held on the same day left long queues of voters still waiting to cast their ballots after the polls closed at 4 p.m.
In response, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (???) said Saturday the four referendums are a de facto vote of no confidence in the DPP.
When the DPP was in opposition it strongly supported referendums, saying they demonstrated a way for people to love Taiwan, but as the ruling party it has strongly opposed referendums, which are a basic civil right, Chu said at the party’s National Congress.
The DPP’s opposition to the the four referendums shows the party’s double standards, while the KMT wants the voice of the public to be heard, he added.
After Saturday’s rally in Taoyuan, the DPP will hold at least 300 similar rallies islandwide before the vote, urging voters to vote “no” in all four referendums.
For its part, the KMT is raising funds to support the referendums, while several party heavyweights will sleep on Ketagalan Avenue in front of the Presidential Office for 49 days starting from Saturday, inviting guests to make speeches in support of the referendums.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel