Taiwan nuclear controversy flares up again

0 Comments | Asian Political News, Feb 12, 2001

TAIPEI, Feb. 7 Kyodo

Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition parties appeared set for another showdown over a controversial nuclear power plant as both sides returned to hard-line positions Wednesday.

DPP Secretary General Wu Nai-jen said opposition demands that the government first resume construction of the plant before negotiations, which collapsed Tuesday, can be restarted were ''difficult to accept.''

He said by returning to their initial demand for unconditional resumption of construction work the opposition parties had betrayed the hopes of the Taiwan people for a quick resolution of the standoff.

Still, Wu urged the opposition parties -- the Nationalist Party (KMT) and KMT splinters People First Party (PFP) and the New Party -- to come back to the negotiation table.

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, who is ready to resume construction if the final decision on the plant's fate is put off until public opinion has been gauged through the year-end general elections, and Premier Chang Chun-hsiung are both favoring further talks with the opposition.

When asked what the DPP would do if negotiations fail to bring a breakthrough, Wu pointed to three scenarios suggested by the island's constitutional watchdog last month.

Those included the resignation of Chang, a no-confidence vote against the cabinet or the passage of special laws to ensure the completion of the plant.

Speaking after a meeting of the party's policy-making Central Standing Committee, Wu said the DPP was united in its opposition to nuclear power and would negotiate for eventually making Taiwan nuclear-free.

Meanwhile, leaders of the major opposition KMT, which holds a slim parliamentary majority, backed their lawmakers' decision to reject talks as long as construction work remains suspended.

Local media reported party leaders concluded that the KMT might boost its election prospects if it tables a no-confidence motion against the cabinet, triggering early elections, instead of agreeing to the government-proposed compromise.

They are reportedly planning to make their move in May at the earliest to have enough time to complete the reelection of Chairman Lien Chan in late March and to nominate lawmaker candidates.

The opposition parties earlier this week appeared ready to accept the president's compromise proposal for conditional resumption of construction at the island's fourth nuclear power plant.

In exchange for restarting works, the opposition pledged to support the goal of phasing out nuclear power and to leave passage of a follow-up budget for the project to the coming legislature.

The deal, which was highly controversial within the DPP and among antinuclear groups, would have given the government a window not to complete the plant if the new legislature supports the move.

However, as both sides continued bickering over the wording of a final agreement, the opposition parties Tuesday suddenly called off further talks, demanding immediate resumption of construction work.

Faced with the opposition brush-off, DPP moderates, which supported the president's compromise proposal, and highly critical antinuclear diehards quickly closed ranks and pressured the government to put off its planned announcement.

Senior DPP figures have voiced suspicions that the KMT initially only went for the compromise to drive a wedge between the president and the DPP and to trigger factional struggles within the ruling party.

Meanwhile, Economics Minister Lin Hsin-i said completion of the 2,700-megawatt plant would most likely have to be delayed by one year to the summer of 2006 due to the months-long suspension of construction work.