The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved two referendum proposals — one to reactivate a soon-to-be-decommissioned nuclear power plant and another to allow absentee voting — advancing both to a second reading in votes split along party lines.
The proposals, introduced by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and backed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), are heading directly to interparty negotiations without undergoing committee review.
The nuclear referendum would ask voters whether they support reactivating the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County, provided it passes all required safety inspections. Reactor No. 1 at the plant was decommissioned last year, while Reactor No. 2 is scheduled to shut down when its operating permit expires on May 17.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The second referendum would ask voters if they agree that the government should enable voting by absentee ballots within two years.
TPP lawmakers said that 70 percent of respondents in a poll conducted by the party supported the referendums.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸), who represents a district in Pingtung, said the proposed activation of decommissioned and soon-to-be decommissioned reactors is a danger to the lives and properties of the county’s residents.
Extending the operational span of reactors beyond their 40-year operating permits is a breach of the Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act (核子反應器設施管制法), he said.
DPP Legislator Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) said the TPP is bullying Pingtung residents by demanding the reactivation of an aging power plant in their jurisdiction, rather than proposing the reactivation of New Taipei City’s Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant or the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant.
DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said the TPP lied about the supposed popularity of the referendums.
The KMT-TPP alliance could easily have passed the two proposals as law with their majority in the legislature if they were truly confident in public support for these policies, he said.
DPP Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) said opposition lawmakers should take responsibility for the complex technical hurdles stemming from their polices at committee hearings, instead of passing their burdens to the public.
Also yesterday, KMT lawmakers passed a motion for the Legislative Yuan to consider extending its session to July 31, citing a need to respond to the ramifications of US tariffs.
An extended session would give the Cabinet time to propose economic stimulus measures and other initiatives to protect the nation’s export sector, workers and financial markets, KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) said.
However, DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said that extending the session could be a KMT ploy to undermine the government with wasteful projects or to help Chinese manufacturers disguise their products’ point of origin.
Citing examples, Wu said the KMT caucus leadership had recently floated policies such as distributing NT$10,000 (US$307) in cash to all citizens — a move that would add NT$230 billion to the national debt — and fast-tracking citizenship for Chinese immigrants.
If the KMT is truly concerned about public welfare, it should support the Executive Yuan’s forthcoming budget proposals and policy measures aimed at mitigating the impact of tariffs, Wu said.
The DPP did not oppose the KMT’s proposal to refer the relevant matter legislative committee for further discussion.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS