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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Elections & Politics

PFP pushes euthanasia referendum, criticizes election commission chair

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Taiwan's People First Party is pushing for a referendum on euthanasia, aiming to link it with local elections.
  • Party chair Huang Kuo-chang criticized the Central Election Commission chair for commenting on the number of referendums.
  • The party argues that euthanasia legislation is progressing too slowly and a referendum is needed to build consensus.

Taiwan's People First Party (PFP) has officially announced its intention to hold a referendum on euthanasia, positioning it as the third such proposal alongside initiatives on vote transfers and dedicated public transport fines. This move, combined with three other referendum proposals from the opposition, brings the total to six, with the party aiming to align them with the year-end local elections.

The law does not authorize the CEC chair to comment on the number of referendums.

— Huang Kuo-changCriticizing the Central Election Commission chair's remarks on referendum numbers.

PFP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang strongly criticized remarks by Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairperson Yu Ying-lung, who suggested that more than three referendums could overwhelm election administration. Huang asserted that the law does not grant the CEC chair authority to comment on the number of referendums and urged him to focus on executing election duties effectively while remembering the democratic value of referendums.

The CEC's sole responsibility is to conduct elections well.

— Huang Kuo-changStating the expected duties of the Central Election Commission.

During a press conference, the PFP presented its "Life Autonomy, Dignified End-of-Life" referendum proposal. Huang argued that legislative progress on significant issues like euthanasia in Taiwan has been exceedingly slow, likening it to a snail's pace. He stated this is precisely why the party is initiating a referendum to consolidate public consensus.

Do not forget the value of referendum democracy.

— Huang Kuo-changUrging the CEC chair to uphold democratic principles.

Responding to questions about legislative efforts, PFP legislator Chiu Hui-ju noted that a related bill had already passed its first reading in the previous legislative session. She emphasized that euthanasia involves both pros and cons, and with significant public interest, it is appropriate to gauge public opinion through a referendum before advancing legislation based on popular will. Huang further accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party of arrogance, suggesting they have forgotten that the people are the ultimate masters of the country after gaining power, and urged them to revisit their own history of promoting referendums.

Our country's legislative progress on major issues like euthanasia crawls slower than a snail.

— Huang Kuo-changExplaining the rationale behind the push for a referendum on euthanasia.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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