Taiwan to hold 5 TV debates for nuclear power referendum

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Election Commission (CEC) will hold five nationally televised presentations or debates ahead of a Nov. 28 referendum on using nuclear power to stimulate the economy and abolish the government’s “nuclear-free homeland” energy policy.

The referendum, designated National Referendum No. 22, asks voters, “Do you support the government using nuclear power to boost the economy and thereby abolish the ‘nuclear-free homeland’ energy policy?”

The five televised events are scheduled for Nov. 12 at 3 p.m., Nov. 14 at 7 p.m., Nov. 16 at 3 p.m., Nov. 18 at 10 a.m., and Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. The Legislative Yuan will nominate representatives supporting the referendum, while the Cabinet and authorized opposition campaign offices may nominate representatives opposing it, per a CEC press release.

People seeking to serve as opposition representatives must first apply to establish a campaign office under Article 20 of the Referendum Act and complete the registration procedures by Oct. 15. Those seeking to represent the supporting side must register through the designated representative with the legislature, which will submit its list to the CEC.

Representatives nominated by either side must sign a pledge confirming that they will present the position they have been selected to represent. Failure to sign will be considered a waiver of participation in that session.

Applications to establish campaign offices and recruit staff must include an office registration form, a staff roster and electronic copies, as well as copies of staff members’ national identification cards or household registration transcripts issued within the preceding three months.

The commission said each city or county may have no more than one such office, while the number of staff members, excluding volunteers, is capped at 100. Offices may not be established in government agencies, schools, legally established organizations, regular polling or vote-counting locations, or other public places.

The Nov. 28 vote will be Taiwan’s fourth national referendum concerning nuclear power since 2018, when voters approved a proposal to remove the statutory deadline for ending nuclear power generation. In 2021, voters rejected a proposal to restart the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. A 2025 proposal to resume operations at the Third Nuclear Power Plant if regulators deemed it safe failed to pass.