Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/06/24
By: Wang Cheng-chung, Yeh Su-ping and Ko Lin

Taipei, June 24 (CNA) The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) announced Monday it will take to the streets next month to protest the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) recent passage of amendments to the Referendum Act that it says will "kill referendums and desert democracy."

The demonstration will take place on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office on July 7 and welcomes all party members, civic groups and individuals unhappy with the amendments to take part, the KMT said in a statement.

The revisions to the Referendum Act pushed through by the DPP-controlled Legislative Yuan on June 17 restrict the holding of national referendums to only once every two years, on the fourth Saturday of August, starting in 2021.

The move came after DPP lawmakers in late 2017 passed an amendment making it easier to initiate referendums, which they said at the time would return power to the people    [FULL  STORY]