CEC approves 7 referendums alongside local elections

Taipei, Oct. 9 (CNA) The Central Election Commission (CEC) approved six referendum proposals at a review meeting Tuesday, bringing the total number to seven, including one on whether Taiwan should apply to attend the 2020 Tokyo Olympics under the name "Taiwan" instead of "Chinese Taipei."

The seven referendum proposals will be held alongside local government elections on Nov. 24.

In addition, the CEC said it will take legal action against those suspected of forging signatures on referendum endorsements, which the commission said were found in all approved referendum proposals.

The seven referendums include one that will ask eligible voters 18 years old and over the question: "Do you agree that Taiwan should apply to participate in all international sporting events, including the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, using the name 'Taiwan?'"

The questions in the other referendums are as follows:

"Do you agree the electricity output of thermal power plants should be lowered by "at least 1 percent per year on average?'"

"Do you agree that Civil Code regulations should restrict marriage to being between a man and a woman?"

"Do you agree to types of unions, other than those stated in the marriage regulations in the Civil Code, to protect the rights of same-sex couples who live together permanently?"

"Do you agree that the Ministry of Education and individual schools should not teach homosexual-related education, as detailed under the Enforcement Rules for the Gender Equity Education Act, in elementary and middle level schools?"

"Do you agree that Taiwan should establish an energy policy that undertakes not to construct any new coal-fired power plants or generators or expand existing facilities (including the expansion of the Shen'ao Power Plant)?"

"Do you agree the government should maintain the ban on imports of agricultural products and food from areas in Japan affected by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster on March 11, 2011, including Fukushima, Ibaraki, Gunma, Tochigi and Chiba prefectures?"

The CEC is scheduled to review three other referendum proposals on Oct. 16. They include one that will ask the question "Do you agree that the Civil Code marriage regulations should be used to guarantee the rights of same sex couples to get married?"

The second proposal asks for a referendum on the question "Do you agree that gender equity education as defined in 'the Gender Equity Education Act' should be taught at all stages of the national curriculum and that such education should cover courses on emotional education, sex education and gay and lesbian education?"

Another proposed referendum will ask the question "Do you agree to abolish Section 1 of Article 95 of the Electricity Act, which states that 'all nuclear-energy-based power-generating facilities shall cease to operate by 2025'?"