The lead petitioners for Taiwan’s upcoming referendum are calling on the Central Election Commission (CEC) to be clear about its plans for August’s vote. That comes a day before the CEC meets on Friday to decide whether or not to postpone the referendum due to COVID-19.
The CEC originally announced at the end of May that a referendum on four questions would go ahead on June 28. The questions concern pork imports, referendum dates, the construction of a liquid natural gas terminal, and Taiwan’s fourth nuclear power plant.
But Taiwan’s ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 has thrown the referendum’s fate into question.
The petition leaders for the four referendum questions issued a joint statement on Thursday, calling for clarity from the CEC. The leaders include Johnny Chiang, chairperson of the Kuomintang, Taiwan’s main opposition party.
In their statement, the petition leaders say the CEC has not provided clear guidance about how it plans to hold the upcoming referendum. They say if the CEC decides to hold the referendum, all election officials should be given priority for vaccination against COVID-19. The CEC should also extend voting times and make proper arrangements for absentee voting.
The petition leaders say if the CEC postpones the referendum, it should give justification, provide an alternate time, and explain any necessary amendments to election laws.