Government looks for way to hold nuclear referendum

The government is studying the ways and means of holding a plebiscite on the fate of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, a DPP official said yesterday.

DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) made the remarks as one of the two reactors for the nuclear power plant in Kungliao, Taipei County, arrived in Taiwan.

Lee said that Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁), Executive Yuan Secretary General Liu Shih-feng (劉世芳) and DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) have kept in close contact over the matter but have yet to reach a decision.

He claimed that the people are more than willing to accept a plebiscite, as it would be an exercise of civil rights, so it would be best if the legislature could pass a plebiscite law or an initiative and referendum law to give the government a legal basis to conduct the referendum.

Lee reaffirmed that establishing a nuclear-free homeland remains the DPP's goal. In addition to the establishment of a committee to push for this goal, it will convene a national conference on a nuclear-free homeland, he added.

The conference will focus on an end to the threat of nuclear weapons, a review of the peaceful use of nuclear energy, strengthening the use of regenerated energy, the liberalization and privatization of the power industry and an end to nuclear pollution.

According to a plan drawn up by the Executive Yean's Nuclear-free Homeland Committee, the government will not passively boycott the use of nuclear energy but will develop technology to create clean, efficient and ample supplies of alternative energy.