Respect New Vox Populi, Start with Amending Nuclear-free Homeland 2025

 Respect New Vox Populi, Start with Amending Nuclear-free Homeland 2025

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

November 28, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

The three plebiscite propositions, i.e., “using nuclear energy to nurture green energy,” “anti-air pollution,” and “anti-Shenao coal-fired power plant” were adopted, obviously demonstrating that the vox populi rather prefer nuclear energy than coal-fired power generation. Premier Lai Ching-te on November 26^th changed his stance, stressing that "I am a 100% supporter of democracy," pledging to respect the outcome of the plebiscite elections. Cabinet spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka on November 27^th also indicated that in accordance with the outcome of the plebiscite elections, the Cabinet would no longer set 2025 as the target year for a nuclear-free homeland. A variable has emerged for the target of nuclear-free homeland 2025; DPP party whip Ker Chien-ming said, “The next battlefield will be the Legislative Yuan.”

In the past two and a half years, the Tsai government has insisted on the policy of a nuclear-free homeland, leaving emission-free nuclear power to disuse and allowing the proportion of fossil fuel-powered generation to increase sharply, so much so that air pollution exacerbated all over Taiwan, becoming the source of the public’s personal feeling and panic. This is why the plebiscite propositions “anti-air pollution” and “anti-Shenao coal-fired power plant” proposed by the KMT both won the support of 7.5 million voters, or over 70% of the total vote. Thus, we have witnessed the popular resentment of the deterioration of air quality.

Whether from the outcome of the plebiscite elections or from the result of local elections for the heads of cities or counties, it may be seen that the public no longer support the nuclear-free homeland target, rather a majority do not oppose nuclear power, while being appalled and detesting the exacerbation of air pollution; the Cabinet simply cannot remain oblivious to the backlash of vox populi. In fact, right after Cabinet spokeswoman said that it was “too late” to jettison a nuclear-free homeland, Taiwan Power Company came out to rebut her, saying that it was not a big problem to extend the commissioning of Nuclear Power Plants Nos. 2 and 3.

The correct approach for the Tsai government is to follow vox populi, inviting experts to review and revise the existing policies; we hope that the Cabinet and the DPP caucus in the Legislative Yuan will also follow the public's opinion, finding a golden-triangle power supply policy that takes into account "stability, environmental protection and price."

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