A widely expected announcement to resume construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (
Showing no signs of backing down, however, President Chen Shui-bian (
"No matter how you look at it, the DPP is the ruling party. We are in charge of handling this affair and managing this house," Cabinet Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (
"Let us actively negotiate to speedily resolve [this dispute]," Chiou quoted Chen as saying.
Yesterday's struggle began early in the morning when Chiou delivered the Cabinet's four demands for negotiations to the legislature. The demands reiterated that the Cabinet was willing to resume the plant's construction in exchange for the legislature's cooperation in drafting a new energy law and its agreement that "future budgets" for the plant be allocated by the legislature slated to be elected at the end of the year.
But in response, the opposition-controlled legislature held a two-hour, closed-door meeting and issued its strongest demand yet that only when construction resumes could negotiations continue.
"The legislature, representing the majority of public opinion, has fully expressed its position towards the dispute over the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, in accordance with the Constitution and the Judicial Yuan's constitutional interpretation," said Legislative Yuan speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Wang reiterated that the door to negotiations between the opposition and ruling parties would be reopened as soon as construction work resumes. Discussions on enacting an energy law and working towards a nuclear-free country could then get started.
At last night's press conference Chiou said that the Legislative Yuan's demand was too "tough" and accused it of creating an "atmosphere of conspiracy."
Opposition lawmakers insist that there will be no negotiations, because of what they call the Cabinet's constitutional obligation to abide by a resolution they passed on Jan. 31, ordering the immediate resumption of the plant's construction.
"The DPP has been making a different interpretation, which is misleading," said Cheng Yung-chin (鄭永金), KMT legislative caucus whip.
During last night's press conference Chiou said that many DPP heavyweights felt that the opposition and its insistence construction resume first was just a weapon the opposition was wielding.
"The opposition party seems to not want to end this dispute. It only wants to use the nuclear debate to pressure and to attack the government," Chiou said.
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