CABINET UNVEILS '320' REFERENDUM BALLOT FORM
2004-01-20 21:24:01
Taipei, Jan. 20 (CNA) The Cabinet unveiled Tuesday the form of the ballot to be cast in Taiwan's first-ever nationwide referendum on March 20 to coincide with the presidential election.
Cabinet Secretary-General Liu Shih-fang displayed the historic "320" referendum ballot form after an inter-ministerial meeting on referendum-related affairs. Officials from the Ministry of the Interior, the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended the meeting.
The referendum will offer a venue for the Taiwan people to express their opinions about two questions -- whether Taiwan should strengthen its missile defense system in the face of mainland China's missile threat and whether the government should forge a peaceful interactive mechanism to negotiate with Beijing.
Liu said the two questions will be printed on two separate ballots.
In other words, Liu went on, each eligible voter will receive three blank ballots at polling stations -- one ballot to elect the president and vice president and the remaining two to express their opinions on the two referendum questions.
Liu said it was tentatively decided at the meeting that national referendum ballots will be light blue in color, while ballots for local-level referendums will be in a paler blue.
Meanwhile, Liu said, the CEC will finalize a standard publicity paper in early February in question-and-answer form to help the public understand the meaning, implication and core values of the referendum.
Liu said all relevant government agencies, including the Mainland Affairs Council and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, will launch a joint publicity campaign to help eligible voters at home and abroad to understand the significance of the referendum.
(By Sofia Wu)
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