Maanshan nuclear plant restart referendum proposal clears Legislature

Taipei, May 20 (CNA) Taiwan's Legislative Yuan on Tuesday passed an opposition-backed proposal to hold a referendum on restarting the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County, whose last operating reactor -- also the nation's last one -- was shut down on Saturday.

The referendum proposal was passed in a 58-49 vote, supported by the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and the smaller Taiwan People's Party (TPP).

First put forward by the TPP on April 18, the now-passed referendum question reads: "Do you agree that the third nuclear power plant [referring to the Maanshan plant] should continue operation upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns?"

The referendum proposal was passed just three days after the No. 2 reactor at the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant was shut down on Saturday night as its 40-year operating license expired, marking the start of Taiwan's "nuclear-free homeland" era. Taiwan relied on nuclear power from three plants for over four decades.

During the plenary session, TPP Legislator Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) said the referendum did not seek an immediate plant restart, but rather invited the public to decide whether its operation should be extended, contingent on a safety assessment.

Acknowledging that some people in Taiwan are concerned about the safety of nuclear power plants, TPP Chairman and Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said all energy policies involve trade-offs, and the people of Taiwan should determine the country's future energy direction through democratic discussions.

The referendum proposal was criticized by lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), including Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸), whose constituency includes the area in Pingtung, home to the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant.

Hsu accused the TPP of bullying the people of Pingtung, questioning why only the Maanshan plant was being targeted for restart, while the other two previously shut-down plants -- both located in New Taipei -- were not being considered.

In a statement, the National Nuclear Abolition Action Platform, an anti-nuclear group, voiced opposition to the passage of the referendum proposal, arguing that restarting a nuclear plant is a "lengthy and costly process."

"Extending the operation of nuclear power plants requires years of review involving complex procedures and unpredictable risks," the group said.

According to the Referendum Act, if the Legislature deems it necessary to hold a referendum on "initiatives or referendums on major policies," it may, after the main text and the statement of reasons are adopted in a plenary session, refer the proposal to the competent authority -- the Central Election Commission (CEC) -- for implementation within 10 days.

The CEC is then required to publish a notification of the vote at least 90 days before a referendum is held, with the designated date being the fourth Saturday of August every other year, or Aug. 23 this year.