Cabinet kills plant referendum

On the basis of the nation's "economic hardship," the Cabinet yesterday announced its decision to shelve a proposal for a non-binding referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (核四) during the year-end elections.

But former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄), anti-nuclear activists and residents of Taipei County's Kungliao township (貢寮鄉) where the plant is located, yesterday responded angrily to the decision.

Announcing the decision, Cabinet Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) said, "At the evaluation panel's suggestion, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) on Wednesday night, agreed to withdraw the proposal to hold the referendum to avoid creating unnecessary uncertainty at a time of economic hardship."

He added that the five-member panel had thoroughly reviewed the pros and cons of the proposal.

The Cabinet decided in February to resume the plant's construction after an earlier decision to scrap the plant was declared by the Council of Grand Justices to have involved "procedural flaws."

The development disappointed the DPP's traditional anti-nuclear wing, which includes former DPP chairman Lin, one of Taiwan's anti-nuclear pioneers.

In what was widely believed to be a move to pacify these supporters, the Cabinet formed a committee in late February to evaluate the feasibility of holding a so-called "consultative" referendum along with the legislative elections in December.

Chiou said that recent polls showed that the public was generally ambivalent about the proposal, embracing the idea of exercising their right to vote on a legislative bill, but also nervous about rekindling controversy over the matter.

"Whether it [the referendum] is held or not, disputes will arise between anti-nuclear environmentalists and local leaders who oppose it. The government is well-prepared to take the blame and the criticism," Chiou added.

Chiou also apologized to those anti-nuclear activists to whom he said the Cabinet had given a promise that the referendum would be held in exchange for their "support and tolerance" of its decision to restart construction of the plant on Feb. 14.

Chiou nevertheless said that the Cabinet had not ruled out reversing yesterday's decision after the elections, if "the new political climate ... allows it."

He also said that, if a referendum were to be held in the future, the Cabinet would prefer to hold it in northern Taiwan, south of Ilan County and north of Hsinchu County, to ensure a turnout rate of over 40 percent at an estimated cost of NT$100 million, rather than an island-wide referendum at an approximate cost of NT$250 million.

Three of Taiwan's four nuclear power plants, including the partially constructed fourth, are in the north of the island.

Since Lin had strongly voiced his opposition to what had been widely seen as the Cabinet's likely decision to drop the proposal, Chiou yesterday added that he had briefed the party's former chairman twice. He added that Lin appeared displeased by the Cabinet's final decision.

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), yesterday urged Lin to be understanding, saying, "There's no need to rekindle the nuclear storm."

Lin did not openly criticize the DPP-led government yesterday although he previously said that any DPP member who supported the construction of nuclear power plants should be expelled from the party, including the premier and the president.