Over 5 million votes required to pass nuclear power plant referendum

Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) At least 5 million votes will be needed to pass Saturday's referendum on whether to extend the service of the in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan, the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced Tuesday.

The referendum question reads: "Do you agree that the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operation upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns?"

Under Taiwan's Referendum Act, the vote will pass only if votes in favor account for more than one-fourth of the total eligible voters and outnumber the votes against.

Taiwanese nationals aged 18 or above who are not under guardianship and have lived in Taiwan for at least six months are eligible to participate in the referendum.

The number of citizens eligible to vote is 20,002,091, according to the CEC, translating to a minimum threshold of 5,000,523 votes for passage.

The Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant was shut down in mid-May, marking the start of a new era in which Taiwan has no operating nuclear power facilities.

While the move aligns with the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) policy of phasing out nuclear power and expanding green energy, the transition has raised questions over its effectiveness, resilience, and cost-efficiency.

Among those supporting an extension of the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant's service are individuals who once backed the DPP's "nuclear-free homeland" policy, including Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) and Pegatron Corp. Chairman Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), who was reportedly once approached by President Lai Ching-te to head his Cabinet.

The TPP proposed the referendum in the Legislature in April, and the bill was passed in May with backing from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT).

The referendum will be held alongside the second wave of recall votes against seven KMT district lawmakers: one in New Taipei, three in Taichung, one in Hsinchu County, and two in Nantou County.

These upcoming recall votes follow a landslide failure in late July, when civic groups and the DPP attempted to recall 24 KMT lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an (高虹安), a former TPP member.

None of the seven lawmakers involved in Saturday's recall is considered at risk of losing their seats.