On Aug. 28, voters are expected to decide four referendums, all four positioned against DPP policies. The ruling party announced Sunday it won''t try to add any of its own referendums to the ballot, which already includes votes on pork imports containing ractopamine, the Datan Algal Reef plant, and Taiwan''s Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

President Tsai Ing-wen convened a meeting of senior officials on Sunday, to form a response to the upcoming referendum. They decided to abstain from proposing referendum questions of their own. Instead, their strategy will be to promote public awareness of the issues at stake.

Chao Tien-lin
DPP lawmaker
We didn’t want the political confrontation that could come from proposing competing questions. There was none of the internal struggle that’s being talked about, no hawks versus doves. Some people have even said there is factional conflict.

Lai Shyi-bao
KMT lawmaker
Not proposing their own referendums is a smart move for them. Any question of theirs would make it clear their interests are against public opinion.

The DPP said it wanted to communicate with the public, not inflame conflict. Sources said the decision not to raise questions had to do with the Taroko Express crash, which is now under investigation. With blame for the crash expected to spread, DPP officials fear a referendum bid would backfire, especially with help from the KMT, according to reports. Given that DPP won’t be submitting proposals, there will now be a maximum of four questions on Aug. 28. One will be on restarting Nuclear Power Plant No. 4. Three other proposals are still being reviewed by the Central Election Commission, and they’re on U.S. pork containing ractopamine, an energy project by Datan’s algal reef, and whether referendums should be held alongside general elections. The KMT says that if the Aug. 28 referendums pass, they will serve as a vote of no confidence in the Cabinet.

Lin Wei-?chou
KMT lawmaker
If these referendums pass, won’t someone need to take responsibility? From the premier at the top to the ministries below, there should be a resignation en masse.

Chang Hung-lu
DPP lawmaker
I don’t think they can equate this to that. They are taking the issues of the referendum and politicizing them. I don’t think that is right. In fact, it distracts from the focus of the referendum.

The DPP charged the KMT of weaponizing the referendum for political gain. It plans to hold policy briefings starting in May, to present the issues in-depth to the public. As for the KMT, it will hold at least 500 of its own presentations in public spaces ahead of Aug. 28. With just four months to go, both sides are making big moves to persuade voters.