DPP denies flipflop over Fourth Nuclear Power Plant

Earlier this week, a former Cabinet member said that opposition party Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) approved a NT$44.8 billion supplementary budget for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in 2006, during his tenure as premier.

“So what place does Su have to demand a halt to construction, or to block the passage of the (new) supplementary budget?” said Yiin Chii-ming (尹啟銘), a former chief of the Council for Economic Planning and Development.

Yinn added that a premature shutdown would result in fines and deeper ramifications on the Taiwan economy. If annual GDP growth fails to meet the 5-percent target, the nation should hold Su accountable, he wrote in a personal blog post dated Feb. 21.

The DPP's Taipei headquarters denied Yiin's charge yesterday, stressing that it has stood by its platform of a “nuclear-free homeland.”

During the Chen Shui-bian administration, the DPP pushed for an end to construction and succeeded in suspending work briefly, said director Ho Po-wen (何博文) of the DPP's education bureau yesterday.

But at the time, the Kuomintang majority controlled the Legislature and budgetary review — DPP lawmakers abstained from voting, but were unable to block the supplementary budget, said Ho.

Ho added that Yiin cannot hold Su accountable for economic growth. “To do so is laughable and absurd,” he said.

“In no other democracy does the ruling administration ask the opposition party to take responsibility for ruling.”

Su Cycles

Also yesterday, Ho announced that Su will bicycle through Gongliao District (貢寮區) today to protest work on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

Su is to be joined by an estimated 200 party staffers along a 10-km route, on bikes bearing flags that read “No nuclear energy, no fear” (反核無懼).

The ride kicks off a series of party-endorsed protests, including a major anti-nuclear energy rally at the Presidential Office on Mar. 9. The Taipei protest extends into an overnight vigil and will be held concurrently with events in Taitung, Taichung and Kaohsiung.

Taiwanese film director Ko I-cheng (柯一正) publicly backed the Mar. 9 protest yesterday.

“This is an excellent opportunity that takes place on the eve of the Fukushima nuclear disaster's second anniversary. It's a chance to consolidate the public's voice and tell the people who collect our taxes what we want,” said Ko.

Meanwhile, civic group “Mom Loves Taiwan” (媽媽監督核電廠聯盟) released an open letter to President Ma Ying-jeou that stressed the plant's safety risks. “Please advise: Is it worth avoiding the late fees if you sacrifice billions of lives and Taiwan's future?” the letter stated.

“Mom Loves Taiwan” founder Irene Chen (陳藹玲) urged Ma to “do some homework” on his own.

“Don't just sit in your office listening to presentations and the opinions of experts,” said Chen, who is also director of the Fubon Cultural and Educational Foundation.

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