Wang calls opposition meeting

Following a request by Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), opposition parties are set to hold a private meeting today called by Legislative Yuan speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) to discuss the dispute concerning the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

Negotiations broke down last Tuesday when both sides were unable to agree on how the debate over the plant should be resolved.

The Legislative Yuan called for an immediate resumption of the project before negotiations could continue. The Cabinet, however, insisted that negotiation was the means by which both sides could hammer out an agreement over resuming the construction of the plant.

"The opposition's present stance is the immediate resumption of the project, `with each side having its own interpretation' (一個復工,各自表述)," New Party lawmaker Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) quipped yesterday.

Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), a KMT legislator and deputy director of the KMT's Policy Coordination Committee, echoing Lai's view, said that the stance of the opposition was clear, but the decision was up to the Cabinet since it holds executive power.

"The opposition has continuously demanded that the ruling DPP restart construction. The problem at the moment lies in the differing views between the Presidential Office, the executive branch and DPP headquarters. Only the Cabinet is entitled to decide on a time to pick up the project. The ball is in the court of the Cabinet," Tseng said.

Addressing a statement made by the Executive Yuan on Feb. 6 in response to the opposition's position, Lai said the only point at issue concerned the Executive Yuan's agreement to implement the unfinished budgetary bill slated for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant after negotiation and mediation by the president.

"[Opposition lawmakers] do not think the president is entitled to mediate any legal disputes, so we insist the wording has to be changed," Lai said.

In response, Government Information Office director Su Tzen-ping (蘇正平) said the issue could be negotiated.

Philip Yang (楊永明), a political science professor at National Taiwan University, said given that it seemed very unlikely for the opposition to change their bottom line -- the immediate continuation of the plant's construction -- it was up to the Cabinet to offer alternatives that would be acceptable to the opposition so as to re-open communication between the two sides.

Yang added that the upcoming meeting between People First Party chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) and KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) should shed some light to the present stalemate.

"It seems Soong is more likely to compromise over the issue given that the PFP is a minority party within the legislature. The forthcoming meeting should be critical."

Yang said that whether the president will be able to create an environment for negotiation was also pivotal.

"The continual remarks made by the two sides are of no use to end the contention. The president should come forward to ease the tension and create a friendly atmosphere for negotiation," Yang said.