Government gives in on power plant

In a bid to ensure political stability, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (iT) yesterday signed a resolution with Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (), agreeing to an immediate resumption of construction on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (֥|).

"Due to the fact that [the ruling party] occupies only a minority of legislative seats, the Cabinet has decided to compromise. The official announcement [to restart the plant] will be made after [today's] weekly Cabinet meeting," Chang said at the Taipei Guest House last night after the signing ceremony, putting an end to a three-month-long impasse over the issue.

Chang's remarks, however, immediately drew severe criticism from anti-nuclear activists.

"Punishment to the traitor -- we now declare a full-scale war on the DPP. The DPP will have to take full responsibility for cheating the public," said a statement released by the Yenliao Anti-Nuclear Self-Help Association (QdϮ֦۱Ϸ|).

A 100,000-person parade will also be held on Feb. 24 in protest at the Cabinet's announcement. Former DPP chairman Lin Yi-hsiung (Lq), faction leader Chang Chun-hung (iT) and other DPP legislators have promised to attend and stand in line with protesters.

Still, President Chen Shui-bian () yesterday attempted to portray the agreement as a victory for anti-nuclear forces.

"The nation's people should value the consensus of `building a non-nuclear country,' which was made by both the government and opposition alliance," Chen said yesterday, quoted by Chiou I-jen (q), secretary-general to the premier.

Meanwhile, Ta Tung Construction (j), the builder of a special dock that is to receive the plant's two nuclear reactors, said yesterday it was calling it quits on its NT$1.17 billion contract with Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, xq).

Taipower has previously said delivery of the two 1,350-megawatt reactors being built by GE could be delayed by up to six months for the time it takes to find a new contractor to complete the dock's construction.

Chen Chuan-lin (tL), chairman of Ta Tung, said the company decided to quit the project because "there are still many problems in the foreseeable future ... and the company finds it difficult to control the construction process."

Ta Tung originally expected to complete the dock's construction in two years, but has only managed to finish about 30 percent of its scheduled work over the last three years.

The ideal of a nuclear-free country has been a part of the DPP's platform for years, and ever since it came to power, the DPP government has insisted on getting rid of the plant. Former premier Tang Fei () resigned because of his disagreement with President Chen on the plant's fate, making him the shortest-serving premier in the history of Taiwan.

Chang succeeded Tang in early October of last year and unilaterally announced the scrapping of the plant on Oct. 27 -- only half an hour after the much-heralded "Bian-Lien meeting" (s|) in which KMT Chairman Lien Chan (s) first proposed a new energy law that would shut down the first, second, third plants earlier than scheduled in exchange for continuing the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

Chang, however, was later declared persona non grata by the legislature and forbidden by the opposition alliance from attending all legislative functions.

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