Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday that a nuclear-free Taiwan remained the party's goal. But given that the DPP was a democratic party, the chairman said, he would not prohibit party members from discussing this issue.
In the DPP's central standing committee meeting on Wednesday, Vice President Annette Lu (
According to Article 64 of the DPP's guidelines, the party "opposes the establishment of additional nuclear power plants, aims to encourage the use of alternative energy sources and to close existing nuclear power plants within a finite period."
Lu's remarks sparked lively debate.
When asked whether Lu's remarks violated the party's guideline, Yu answered: "Yes."
Yu said that the nuclear power issue was not listed as a proposal in the central standing committee.
"The vice president is just expressing her personal opinion. The DPP is a party that does not oppose different voices," Yu said.
DPP legislative caucus whip Chen Chun-jun (
However, since construction had resumed on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, the DPP would not propose the work should be halted again, he said.
"But we will continue to monitor the budgets for the fourth nuclear plant. Security remains the priority," he said.
DPP Legislator Chao Yung-ching (
"I think it is incredible that the budget for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant has been increased. There must be activity behind the scenes. Resuming construction harms the credibility of the party and shows a lack of accountability," Chao said.
The pan-blue camp yesterday praised Lu's remarks, saying it was time for the DPP to re-examine its nuclear power policy.
KMT legislative caucus whip Pan Wei-kang (
"We are glad to see that the vice president has caught up with world trends," Pan said.
She added that it was the DPP's fault that NT$3.5 billion had been wasted when compensation was paid for halting the construction of the plant, and that another NT$78 billion was subsequently required to resume construction.
Meanwhile, Yu Shyi-kun yesterday said that the first family should apologize over first lady Wu Shu-jen's (
Honor guards are to stop performing changing of the guard ceremonies around a statue of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) to avoid “worshiping authoritarianism,” the Ministry of Culture said yesterday. The fate of the bronze statue has long been the subject of fierce and polarizing debate in Taiwan, which has transformed from an autocracy under Chiang into one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. The changing of the guard each hour at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei is a major tourist attraction, but starting from 9am on Monday, the ceremony is to be moved outdoors to Democracy Boulevard, outside the eponymous blue-and-white memorial
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The government would cancel kendo practitioner Su Yu-cheng’s (蘇郁程) nationality if he is confirmed to have represented China in the World Kendo Championships in Milan, Italy, last week, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday. “We have consulted the Sports Administration and were told that athletes participating in the championships must have the nationality of the country that they represent. They must also present their passports as proof,” council spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a weekly news conference. “If Su indeed represented China in the championships, we suspect that he has obtained Chinese nationality.” The Act Governing Relations Between the People of the
FATAL ILLNESS: Untreated symptoms can rapidly worsen to complications such as high fever, seizures and loss of consciousness, and can be life-threatening, a doctor said Hospitals have been reporting dozens of people with heat-related illnesses every day over the past week, given continuous high daytime temperatures, so recognizing the early signs of heatstroke is crucial in preventing serious complications, a Taipei City Hospital emergency physician said. The Central Weather Administration yesterday issued a heat alert for 19 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures in New Taipei City, Miaoli County and Pingtung County likely to exceed 38°C, and temperatures in 12 cities and counties likely to exceed 36°C for three days straight. More than a dozen people were taken to hospitals for heat-related illnesses every day from