Kinmen proposes casino development referendum

A new referendum on whether to permit gaming development on the Taiwanese island of Kinmen will be held again as early as October, newspaper Taiwan News reported.
According to the news report, an official from the country’s right-wing political party Kuomintang had gathered 6,207 signatures for a petition requesting the Kinmen regional government hold a referendum to vote on the matter.
The plebiscite proposal is now awaiting approval from the Taiwan Central Election Commission, while voting is expected to take place in October at the earliest if it gets the nod from the authorities.
The outcome of the referendum is unpredictable as the number of reg­istered residents in Kinmen -140,000 – is more than double the number of residents actually living on the island, the news outlet noted.
Gaming is forbidden in Taiwan although its parliament approved an amendment to the Offshore Islands Develop­ment Act in 2009 allowing offshore islands to hold referendums on casino development.
According to the Taiwanese Referendum Act, similar plebiscites cannot be held in less than a three-year period, meaning that a new referendum can only be held after 2020 if Kinmen residents reject casino development.
In October 2016, residents of the Taiwanese island of Penghu vetoed casino development for the second time in seven years, with 81 per cent of voters saying ‘no’ to the proposal.
In 2012, residents of the Matsu Islands approved gaming development in a referendum, although Taiwan’s parliament has yet to approve a Tourism Casino Administration Act that would effectively enforce regulations for the establishment and management of casinos.
The country ’s ruling party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), opposes the development of casinos, as its leader, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, favours developing tourism on the offshore islands by promoting their natural resources.