By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and a group of lawmakers yesterday demanded a speedy constitutional interpretation of the nuclear dispute, amid lingering controversy over the the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮).
Four months have passed since Hsieh and 40 DPP lawmakers demanded an interpretation from the Justices of the Constitutional Court on Dec. 29 last year, Hsieh told a press conference.
“While the [President] Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) administration has announced the discontinuation of construction of the plant, people still found the government untrustworthy. It is imperative for the justices to interpret the fundamental law of the country to solve the dispute,” he said.
Hsieh and the lawmakers cited the project’s violation of the constitutional right of Taiwanese to life, the right to own property and protection of the environment as their reason for demanding the interpretation.
They urged the public to send letters to the justices and call on them to make the interpretation as soon as possible.
“The justices are responsible to eliminate the division between the government and the people. They were given this job to resolve social conflicts and controversy,” DPP Legislator Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) said.