Taiwan’s legislature could soon discuss the issue of whether to hold the nation’s first referendum to amend the constitution. Lawmakers will broach the possibility of holding it alongside the legislative and presidential elections slated for 2016.
The cross-partisan proposal could reach the floor by this coming Friday. The next legislative session is critical for pushing forward the proposal in time to bundle the referendum with the elections.
Once the proposal is passed in the legislature, it must be announced six months before a referendum can be held on a constitutional amendment. It needs approval of half of all eligible voters in order to become law.
Right now the nation’s election commission is looking into the possibility of holding the 2016 presidential and legislative elections at the same time. If the two are held at the same time, then the elections would take place in January, 2016, in order to fill the vacant positions on schedule. That means the legislature needs to pass and announce the referendum on constitutional amendments by May or June of 2015 in order for it to be held alongside the joint elections.