Taiwan municipal elections: Direct democracy put to the test

Voters also need to tackle divisive issues such as marriage equality

Taiwanese with referendum posters reading "Say Yes To Taiwan" and "Call Us Taiwan at Tokyo Olympics", urging people to vote in favour of the name change in today's polls.
Taiwanese with referendum posters reading "Say Yes To Taiwan" and "Call Us Taiwan at Tokyo Olympics", urging people to vote in favour of the name change in today's polls. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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When Ms Wei Wan-jung goes to the polls today to pick Taipei's mayor for the next four years, she will also be handed 10 other ballot papers.

Each of them will ask her to answer yes or no to a single question, in a landmark exercise in Swiss-style direct democracy.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 24, 2018, with the headline Taiwan municipal elections: Direct democracy put to the test . Subscribe