ABSTRACT
Referenda are often hailed as a manifestation of direct democracy. The referendum held in Taiwan on 20 March 2004 was the island’s first implementation of direct democracy at the national level. The event undoubtedly constituted a landmark event on Taiwan’s path toward democratization. The fact that it was held on the same day as the presidential election, however, raised opposition parties’ doubt regarding the government’s motivation. This doubt caused the referendum issues to become engulfed in partisan politics and electoral maneuvering. The ruling DPP was accused of tying the general election to the referendum so as to kill two birds with one stonethat is, to mobilize their fundamentalist pro-independence supporters in order to win both the re-election and the legitimacy of appealing directly to the people.
