Corporal Punishment Referendum Passes by a Narrow Margin of 52 to 51; 8 Taiwan People's Party Lawmakers Abstain; Blue Camp Shouts 'Taiwan Has Justice'

On the 14th, the Legislative Yuan voted on a referendum proposal to 'legalize corporal punishment.' The 8 lawmakers from the Taiwan People's Party did not vote. After two rounds of voting, the final result was 52 votes in favor and 51 votes against, narrowly passing. The proposal will be sent to the Central Election Commission, and whether it can be voted on the same day as the November 28 local elections remains to be seen with the commission's announcement.

The referendum asks whether the government should establish a special criminal law system, including corporal punishment, for crimes such as sexual assault, child abuse, and large-scale fraud, to be declared and enforced by the court.

The KMT argues that recent cases of sexual assault, child abuse, and fraud have caused social unrest and that the people should decide through a referendum whether to establish a corporal punishment system. The DPP, on the other hand, opposes the proposal, arguing that it violates international human rights conventions.

During the voting process, two DPP lawmakers, Tsai Ching-wen and Tsai Yi-yu, mistakenly voted in favor, resulting in an initial vote of 54 to 49. The DPP immediately requested a revote, and the two lawmakers changed their votes to oppose, resulting in a final vote of 52 to 51.

The 8 lawmakers from the Taiwan People's Party did not vote in favor or against, as there were differing opinions within the party. Speaker of the Legislative Yuan Han Kuo-yu and Vice Speaker Chiang Chi-chun also did not participate in the vote.

After the proposal passed, KMT lawmakers held up signs that read 'Corporal Punishment Referendum for Public Safety' and shouted slogans such as 'Three Agreements, Taiwan Has Justice,' 'Fight for the Economy, Fight for Public Safety, Fight for Road Safety.'

Whether the referendum can be held on the same day as the local elections depends on the Central Election Commission's announcement by August 28 at the latest. The Legislative Yuan's passage is only the first step, and the final decision on whether to combine the referendum with the end-of-year elections will be made by the commission.