Taiwan's Central Election Commission has blocked two opposition-backed referendum proposals, sparking a fight over who really killed them.

• The commission threw out a KMT proposal for caning as punishment for sex crimes, child abuse, and large-scale fraud, plus a TPP proposal to earmark traffic fine revenue.
• The caning proposal was rejected unanimously because it amounts to writing new law, which referendums are not allowed to do.
• The traffic-fine case was closer, failing 4-3 across three separate votes.
• The KMT accused the commission of doing the ruling party's bidding, but most sitting commissioners were recommended by the KMT and TPP themselves — and DPP-recommended nominees were all blocked by the legislature.
• A third opposition proposal, scrapping Taiwan's nuclear-free policy, was also on the agenda.

Outlook: Expect the opposition to keep pressing the "democracy denied" line and target President Lai, even though its own appointees cast the deciding votes.