Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) lost her cool yesterday when asked whether she was in favor of nuclear energy, stressing that the global energy crisis was challenging the Democratic Progres-sive Party's (DPP) policy of a nuclear-free homeland.
"Don't push me," she said, "I've already said it is an issue that requires public debate. I'm not an expert and neither are you. I'm just calling on the party to solicit professional opinion on the issue."
Lu made the remarks yesterday morning in response to inquiries about a story in yesterday's United Daily News. The paper reported that Lu claimed during Wed-nesday's closed-door DPP Central Standing Committee meeting that nuclear power was green energy and that opposing nuclear energy was outdated thinking.
She also called on her party to consider whether it was appropriate to build more nuclear power plants, the report said.
Dismissing the report, Lu yesterday said that her suggestion at the meeting was that the party must seek professional opinion on the controversial issue, and the rest of the report was incorrect.
"I never mentioned anything about nuclear power plants. How could they put such words into my mouth?" she said.
Lu also lambasted the person who leaked the information, saying that the person clearly violated a resolution made by the committee that banned committee members from disclosing details of discussions at the weekly closed-door meeting.
While the DPP was in favor of a nuclear-free homeland, Lu said that the global energy crisis, global warming and advanced nuclear technology were challenging the party's charter. The party must respond to new ideas, acquire new knowledge and develop new thinking, she said.
"We may be able to avoid the problem today, but we cannot avoid it tomorrow," she said.
"We need to rely on professionals and experts to carry out a thorough and impartial study of the issue," she added.
As for the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, Lu said that both the old and new administrations must face the problem and bear responsibility.
Meanwhile, Lu yesterday welcomed a delegation from El Salvador in Taiwan to solicit investment in an industrial park there.
Presentations have been held in Taipei, central and southern Taiwan since last week to try and promote investment in the Central American country's Taiwan Park.
Under the agreement with El Salvador, Taiwanese firms will be provided with land near the international airport for 30 years.
Lu said that such a park was important because El Salvador will be crucial to Taiwan's globalization effort as Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the region have already signed free trade agreements (FTA) with other Central American nations as well as countries in North and South America.
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