Voters reject proposals in Taiwanese referendum

By Emre Aytekin

BEIJING (AA) – Voters have rejected a four-point referendum on energy, environment, food imports and future referendum dates in Taiwan.

The Chairman of the Central Election Commission, Lee Chin-yung, announced the completion of vote counting, according to the Central News Agency (CNA).

All proposals were rejected by the majority of voters, including a fourth nuclear power plant construction on the island, a ban on imports of ractopamine-added pork, transportation of the liquefied natural gas terminal built in Taoyuan away from the seaweed reef on the coast and to hold future referendums only in conjunction with a general election.

The participation rate remained at 41.09%, in which more than 19.82 million people over the age of 18 living on the island were eligible to vote.

The referendum was made on the initiative of the opposition Nationalist Party (Koumingtag), rather than by Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The DPP government made it a rule to hold referendums in non-election years with an amendment to the Referendum Act in 2019.

It was the first time that a referendum was held on the island since the amendment, separate from general and local elections.

*Writing by Merve Berker