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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 DPP launches referendum campaign
Premier Su Tseng-chang speaks at a rally at Taoyuan’s Sanmin Sports Park yesterday to urge people to vote “no” on four referendum proposals on Dec. 18. Photo: Chen Ching-min, Taipei Times
HEAVY ISSUES: President Tsai Ing-wen called on voters to consider the referendums carefully ‘to make the best choice for Taiwan,’ as the votes would impact the nation
By Jason Pan / Staff reporter
The outcome of December’s referendums would determine the nation’s future, and the public’s interests must not be hijacked by political turmoil created by the Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT）, the Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） leadership said yesterday.
“This referendum vote is a challenge in the fight for Taiwan’s future, including against the deepening of our nation’s democracy and could even reverse our policy to transition to renewable energy,” President Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） told a DPP rally urging people to vote “no” on all four referendum questions
She was joined Premier Su Tseng-chang （蘇貞昌） and other prominent party politicians at Taoyuan’s Sanmin Sports Park （三民運動公園）, while other party members held events in cities and counties across the nation.
The four questions being considered on Dec. 18 call for a ban on imports of pork containing the leanness-enhancing additive ractopamine, relocating a natural gas terminal to protect algal reefs off Taoyuan’s Guanyin District （觀音）, holding referendums alongside national elections and activating the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District （貢寮）.
Tsai urged voters to consider the issues carefully “to make the best choice for Taiwan,” adding that the results would affect the nation’s economic growth and international trade.
Addressing the pork issue, Tsai said that former president Ma Ying-jeou’s （馬英九） administration approved the importation of US beef containing ractopamine residue.
“Now we have US beef products at three times the volume as when Ma was in office, and have not encountered problems, due to the government’s diligent inspection efforts,” she said.
“If we can import beef, then of course we can also import pork,” she said, adding that the issue could lead to the resumption of bilateral trade talks with the US.
“Right now is a critical time for Taiwan to engage with the world, and we have to follow the rules to apply international standards for inspections. Thereby Taiwan can have broader choices going forward with international communities,” she said.
Political parties will not win or lose in the referendums, but the results would affect Taiwan’s national development and determine the nation’s future, she said.
“People should set aside their political differences, to think over the questions carefully,” she added.
Su said there were double standards in talks by KMT Chairman Eric Chu （朱立倫）, saying that when he was mayor of New Taipei City, Chu had opposed starting the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
“Now the KMT wants to activate the plant... So Chu is contradicting himself ... but he is also creating turmoil for Taiwan,” Su said.
He said he understood the issue well during his two terms as commissioner of what was then Taipei County.
“It was the KMT that pushed for construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, and also the KMT who shut it down,” he said.
“The KMT caused havoc for 15 years, wasted NT$300 billion [US$10.78 billion at the current exchange rate] of taxpayers’ money. The plant did not even produce 1 watt of electricity, two of its units and one generator were not even completed and parts were stripped from the second generator to repair the first,” he added.
Su also said the plant had been placed near an active fault line, the contractors have dissolved, the construction license expired, much of the needed parts are no longer produced and all the fuel rods have been returned to the US.
“So how can this plant be activated? KMT officials know it cannot, but they persist to cause havoc in Taiwan, and to continue squandering taxpayers’ money,” he added.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
