Taipei, June 27 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Friday that an initial package of solutions to the problems surrounding the removal of nuclear waste stored on Orchid Island off the southeastern Taiwan coast will be unveiled by the end of this year.
In addition, Chen said, the government will hold a referendum on or before next year's presidential election on the fate of Taiwan's Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and other major public policy issues.
Addressing the opening of a national meeting to promote a nuclear-free homeland, Chen said the low-level radioactive waste from Taiwan's three nuclear power plants, as well as construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, are two thorny issues left behind by the previous Kuomintang administration.
He said the two issues must be addressed simultaneously. "We cannot just oppose the storage of nuclear waste in our neighborhood while supporting construction of a new nuclear power plant. We must make a choice, " he said, adding that it is unreasonable to store nuclear waste from Taiwan on scenic Orchid Island -- home to the Tao aboriginal people.
Meanwhile, Chen went on, his administration is determined to hold a referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant on or before the day of the next presidential election -- March 20, 2004 -- to clear up the longstanding controversy over whether to abandon construction on the facility or continue the project. "The move is not just to deliver on my personal campaign promise but also to honor the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's commitment to our fellow countrymen," Chen said.
Chen said a referendum is the epitome of governance by the people and a remedy for deficiencies in legislative politics. The exercise of this direct civil right should not be restricted simply because legislation is not in place regarding the details of conducting such an expression of public opinion, he said.
Many countries around the world have held referendums on critical national policy issues, such as whether to join the United Nations or the European Union or adopt the euro, as well as whether to allow abortion or the possession of guns, Chen said, adding that referendums have helped settle longstanding confrontations and divisions over those contentious issues in many countries.
Chen further said he is convinced that Taiwan will be able to develop clean and recyclable energy through market liberalization and tax incentives.
In the past, he went on, Taiwan relied too heavily on thermo and nuclear power plants. In the future, he added, Taiwan will encourage research and development of substitute and recyclable energy sources, including solar energy, wind-powered electricity generation, hydroelectric power and geo-thermo power generation.
Chen said the government's goal is to upgrade the ratio of recyclable power generation to the levels of advanced countries such as Japan and Germany.
Moreover, he went on, there is still ample room for Taiwan to improve energy efficiency. The government will launch a publicity campaign to promote energy conservation and the development of environment-friendly technologies and industries, Chen said. "We should endeavor to improve the imbalance in our energy consumption structure. At the moment, energy-consuming industries account for more than 30 percent of the nation's total energy consumption, but these industries contribute only about 5 percent to our gross domestic product," he noted.