The "18-Year-Old Civil
Rights" constitutional amendment proposal, which passed the third reading
in the Legislative Yuan, has elapsed its six-month notice period on September
28, 2022. The Legislative Yuan handed over the proposed modification to the
Central Election Commission (CEC) for conducting a referendum to confirm it in
accordance with constitutional procedure. The CEC has scheduled to hold this
constitutional amendment referendum in conjunction with local elections on Nov.
26, 2022.
CEC chairperson Lee
Chin-Yung said, this constitutional amendment referendum has a historical
significance in which citizens exercise the constitutional review for the very
first time. Therefore, the CEC feels a great responsibility. All the electoral
staffs will be fully prepared to complete the election and epidemic prevention
successfully. He also called on citizens over the age of 20 to actively
exercise citizen rights and cast their votes.
Furthermore, on October 12, the
CEC will release an announcement for the constitutional amendment referendum,
which includes the voting date and times, the serial number, the matters the Legislative
Yuan handed over for referendum, the position papers raised by the government
agencies on the constitutional amendment referendum, the scope and method of
exercising the right of referendum, and representatives of those in support of
or against the referendum shall follow, present or debate their opinions on wireless
television stations. The announcement will also be published in the referendum
bulletin, which will be delivered to households across the country by November
23.
The CEC also said, the
matter the Legislative Yuan handed over for referendum is the amendment of
Articles 1-1 of Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of
China - Any citizen of the Republic of China who has attained the age of 18
years shall have the right of election, recall, initiative and referendum in
accordance with law. Except as otherwise provided by this Constitution or by
law, any citizen who has attained the age of 18 years shall have the right of
being elected in accordance with law. The provisions of Articles 130 of the
Constitution shall cease to apply. The CEC will publish the contents of the
Articles provided by the Legislative Yuan as “the matters Legislative Yuan
handed over for referendum” on the referendum bulletin and vote.
The CEC added, this
constitutional amendment referendum is stipulated by the Legislative Yuan in
accordance with Article 1, Item 1 and Article 12 of Additional Articles of the
Constitution of the Republic of China, and passed in third reading by the
Legislative Yuan on March 25, 2022. The Legislative Yuan published a notice on
March 28 2022, and after six months has elapsed, the Legislative Yuan handed
over the referendum to the CEC for holding the vote.