It would be impossible for the Executive Yuan to unilaterally halt the construction of the Longmen Nuclear Power Plant (LNPP), also known as the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, through an executive order, Premier Jiang Yi-huah stated in a press conference today.
The previous halt to plant construction caused an uproar, and the Executive Yuan cannot override the Legislature's resolutions regarding the LNPP, Jiang explained. Moreover, the Executive Yuan has always advocated that the LNPP would become operational only when its safety is guaranteed.
The premier made these remarks after meeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang in the Executive Yuan this afternoon. The two of them candidly exchanged views on the plant, which is located in New Taipei City's Gongliao District.
Su sought Executive Yuan support for the DPP's motion in the Legislature for a special statute on an LNPP referendum. The premier replied that the Executive Yuan respects the Legislative caucuses' decisions and also promised to pass on this message expeditiously to President Ma Ying-jeou.
Regarding former DPP Chairman Lin Yi-xiong's intention to commence a hunger strike tomorrow to demand the plant's closure, Jiang stated that when he heard of this plan he was deeply shocked and saddened, as Lin is a highly respected elder statesman. The premier said he is willing to visit Lin personally to explain the government's energy policy and stand on the LNPP. He also called on Lin's family and friends to persuade him not to hurt his body and health for a political demand.
Answering a reporter's question on the threshold for a referendum to be binding, the premier stated that he hopes the public will take into consideration the solemnity of a referendum on a major controversy like whether or not to halt the construction of the LNPP. The ruling and opposition parties currently have differing positions on this issue, with the former maintaining that the current threshold stipulated in the Referendum Act—that 50 percent of eligible voters should participate, more than half of whom must cast the "yes" ballot for the referendum to pass—should be used and the latter proposing that a referendum should pass if it is supported by a simple majority, regardless of the number of total votes.
The LNPP issue is not merely a question of whether the plant will operate or not but also of the nation's energy policy as a whole, Jiang said. The government's nuclear policy has always been to "ensure nuclear safety and gradually reduce reliance on nuclear power," and the government hopes that the plant's future will be decided by referendum only after all safety inspections have been completed and approved by the Atomic Energy Council.