The Green Citizens’ Action Alliance has published the results of a survey backed by more than 200 civic groups that asked candidates in last month’s nine-in-one elections to pledge their opposition to the plan to postpone the decommissioning of the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant and Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in the Shihmen (石門) and Wanli (萬里) districts of New Taipei City.
The alliance said that 15 of the 22 mayor-elects and commissioner-elects said they were against the postponement.
Since there are two nuclear plants in New Taipei City, the petition asked New Taipei City councilor candidates to state their positions on the matter, Green Citizen’s Action Alliance deputy secretary-general Hung Shen-han (洪申翰) said.
He said that 40 of 66 councilor-elects opposed the postponements — about 60 percent of New Taipei City councilors — 32 of which are of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); four are of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), one of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU); and the final three are independent candidates.
With councilors opposed to nuclear energy making up the majority of the council, Hung said he hopes they send a clear message that opposes postponing the decommissioning of the plants, adding that he and his fellow environmental activists plan to monitor whether the councilor-elects keep to their words.
He called on President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration to listen to the public and stop flirting with the idea of postponing the decommissioning dates, saying that it should be serious about developing alternative energy sources.
Yilan Charlei Chen Foundation president Charlei Chen (陳錫南) said that the outcome of last month’s elections was a beacon of light for those who hope Taiwan can become a nuclear-free nation.
It highlights the public’s desire to abolish the nation’s reliance on nuclear energy, Chen said, adding that it was a wish that Ma has paid a heavy price for ignoring over the years.
Yilan Charlei Chen Foundation technical consultant Ho Li-wei (賀立維) said that the majority of pro-nuclear candidates were ousted in the elections, a phenomenon epitomized by outgoing Taoyuan Commissioner John Wu (吳志揚) of the KMT.
Had New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), who won the election by a small margin, not made clear his anti-nuclear stance, he would have also lost in the elections, Ho added.
Ho said he hoped the election results served as a rude awakening for Ma and his administration.
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