The fate of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant should not be decided by a few individuals or interest groups but should be determined by all citizens through a national referendum, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said this afternoon in front of the Legislative Yuan.
Earlier, the premier was at Taipei's Gikong Presbyterian Church to visit former Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Lin Yi-xiong, who began a hunger strike today to protest construction of the nuclear plant, also known as the Longmen Nuclear Power Plant. As Lin was not receiving visitors, however, Jiang was only able to speak briefly with the pastor of the church. The premier left a written message asking Lin to look after his health while also conveying regards from President Ma Ying-jeou.
"Former Chairman Lin is an elder statesman highly respected for his contributions to Taiwan's democratization process. It breaks our hearts to see him go on this hunger strike. I hope he will take good care of his health," said the premier.
"Lin has devoted his entire life to promoting Taiwan's democracy. However, a controversy as large as the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant should be resolved through a referendum, the highest expression of the people's will."
Calling a plebiscite to settle this divisive issue was the consensus reached by ruling and opposition parties and the public in general after more than a year of debate and discussion, Jiang said. The plant in New Taipei City's Gongliao District is presently being inspected for safety, and before the assessment is completed and approved by the Atomic Energy Council, there will be no further discussion of fuel rod installation. The Executive Yuan's stance is to wait until the plant passes safety checks to hold the referendum.
"No individuals or groups can unilaterally decide whether or not the plant should become operational," Jiang reiterated, adding that the public has the final say in a democratic country. "We should wait for the results of the safety inspections before holding the referendum."
The premier also commented on the minimum percentage of eligible voters required for a referendum to be valid, saying that the threshold varies in different countries. Taiwan's threshold is higher than average, requiring 50 percent of eligible voters to cast ballots and consent from more than half of these voters. This is due to Taiwan's higher voter participation, which sees 78 to 80 percent turnout in presidential elections and over 65 percent in legislature elections.