The Chen Shui-bian (
Taiwan has paid dearly for the nuclear plant row, but what lesson has the government learned? None. Even as both the Cabinet and high-level DPP officials question the feasibility of a public referendum on the plant's future at a time when Taiwan's economy is in bad shape, no one dares to tell former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (
The economic growth rate has hit a record low of 1.06 percent, while unemployment has risen to a record high of 3.96 percent. Chen plans to set up a cross-party advisory board on economic development to work out policies for economic recovery. Re-opening the debate on the plant at this point will destabilize the political situation and deal another blow to business confidence. How can this be reconciled to Chen's commitment of "investment first, economy first, Taiwan first." How can this inspire public confidence in the government?
The ruling party wants to use the nuclear plant as a platform in the year-end elections. The current power structure of political parties is not so different from that at the beginning of the year; the opposition parties still hold an absolute advantage. But the economic downturn has tipped the scales further in favor of the plant. Whether at the Legislative Yuan or in a public referendum, the DPP stands little chance of victory. What else can justify the DPP's starting a war that it is sure to lose -- and paying a dear price for it -- except ideological dogmatism and factional interests?
If no one in the DPP dares to tell Lin that no referendum will be held, then does anyone in the party really dare to tell the public that a referendum will indeed be held at a time the country is in its economic doldrums?
The nuclear plant debate has raged for more than a decade. After much political bickering and financial losses, a deal was reached to continue building the plant but to make Taiwan a nuclear-free nation in the future. Democratic though it is, a referendum at this point may cause this hard-won deal to go up in smoke.
The government should give up the idea of holding a referendum -- for which no legal basis exists yet -- during the year-end elections. It should leave the nuclear debate up to the next legislature, which will be the one to review the new energy law that the Executive and Legislative Yuans agreed in February to draw up. That law is to set a goal of a nuclear-free Taiwan. Such a strategy would not only be legal but it is also a reasonable compromise.
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