Chen hints at renewed construction

To end the controversy over the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant as soon as possible, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is expected to meet with senior DPP leaders shortly to persuade them to accept resumption of the construction of the plant under specific conditions.

In addition, Wang Jyn-ping (王金平), speaker of the Legislative Yuan told reporters yesterday that a new round of negotiations between the Executive Yuan and Legislative Yuan is set to take place tomorrow.

After several rounds of negotiation between the two Yuans during the past two days, Presidential Office officials said yesterday that the government believes the months-long deadlock over the issue will be solved this week.

"The president is glad that both the Cabinet and opposition parties have expressed goodwill and made concessions during those negotiations," said a Presidential Office official.

"President Chen believes that both sides will compromise to reach a final consensus," the official said.

Sources from the Presidential Office have already revealed that the president is prepared to accept, under specific conditions, the legislature's Jan. 31 resolution to resume construction of the power plant.

The conditions to be attached to any agreement to resume construction of the plant may include that a new state energy law be passed with the purpose of building a "nuclear-free country" by decommissioning all four nuclear power plants earlier than scheduled and building no additional nuclear power plants.

The president yesterday also hinted publicly that he had considered the nation's overall position in deciding whether to accept resumption of the plant.

"I am just like the captain of a fishing boat, who should not only care about safely delivering all the fish but also must protect the safety of all crew and the vessel itself," said Chen in an address to a gathering of the Association of Ilan County Residents in Taipei.

Wang, who met with both Chen and Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) privately on Friday, said that although Chen did not request the construction's resumption specifically during the meeting, his intention was "very well known " in everybody's heart.

Wang said, however, that he believes the Executive Yuan is unlikely to make a quick announcement of resumption of the suspended construction work on the plant because the DPP still has many internal conflicts to resolve.

According to Wang, Chen had requested Chang, who also attended the meeting, to try to coordinate with the anti-nuclear hardliners within the DPP.

Former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄), who strongly advocated abolishing the plant, is the heavyweight figure among these hardliners.

Also during his address at the reunion yesterday, President Chen suggested that the DPP government will try to implement the party's anti-nuclear platform in the future, saying he will not disappoint Lin.

"A single setback does not mean failure for life," Chen said. "I hope all supporters can understand that the shortest distance between two points is not necessary a [straight] line but sometimes a curve."

Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers yesterday stuck to their previously stated bottom line -- that the Executive Yuan should resume construction of the plant before they will start negotiations with the DPP on legislation regarding an energy development law and a referendum law.