Focus Taiwan
Date: 10/16/2020
By: Liu Kuan-ting, Yu Hsiang
and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Oct. 16 (CNA) Taiwan's Central Election Commission (CEC) announced on Friday that it will hold hearings on contentious portions of two recent referendum proposals brought by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), including one to overturn the government's easing of restrictions on imported U.S. pork.

In a press release, the CEC said it will arrange hearings to "clarify" petitions submitted by the KMT's leadership on Sept. 23 to ban the import of pork containing the leanness-enhancing drug ractopamine and to hold referendums in conjunction with national or local elections.

Under CEC operating procedures, the commission will announce the hearing dates and disputed portions of the referendum proposals in the coming weeks. After the hearings, the lead proposers will be required to submit requested changes within 30 days.

The commission's decision to hold the hearings — rather than allow the proposals to proceed to the second of Taiwan's three-stage referendum process — was swiftly condemned by the KMT, which accused it of disregarding the people's will.    [FULL  STORY]