Taiwan's election body has locked in the lineup for five televised debates on a referendum to scrap the island's "nuclear-free homeland" policy, intensifying a political fight over nuclear power ahead of the November vote.

• The referendum, which would undo Taiwan's long-standing anti-nuclear policy, will be voted on alongside local elections on November 28.
• Five debate sessions are scheduled between November 12 and 20, each pitting a pro-referendum speaker against an opponent, aired on different TV networks.
• The first debate on November 12 features KMT lawmaker Niu Hsu-ting arguing for scrapping the policy against DPP lawmaker Chen Pei-yu defending it.
• The opposition KMT accused the government of being contradictory, saying it's pushing to restart nuclear plants while officials formally oppose ending the nuclear-free policy, and demanded an explanation.

Outlook: Expect the nuclear debate to become a flashpoint issue in the run-up to the November 28 vote, with energy policy and party rivalry increasingly intertwined.