NUCLEAR POWER DEBATE: Lin I-hsiung ‘in a stable condition’ in hospital: supporters

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) remained hospitalized at National Taiwan University (NTU) Hospital yesterday as the nation awaited his next move after he went on a seven-day hunger strike from Tuesday last week until Monday.

“Lin is in stable condition, physically and mentally, and he called for all participants in the [antinuclear] protests to adhere to the principle of nonviolence,” Lin’s support group posted on his Web site last night.

NUCLEAR POWER DEBATE: ‘Give a speedy interpretation’: Hsieh

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.

NUCLEAR POWER DEBATE: Majority wants no plebiscite threshold

POLL PRESSURE:：The Taiwan Thinktank said judging by the results of a recent poll, the mainstream public opinion on amending the Referendum Act has been made clear
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter
Wed, Apr 30, 2014 - Page 3

The majority of respondents in a public opinion poll released yesterday supported eliminating the threshold stipulated in the Referendum Act (公民投票法), as well as a simple format for referendum questions to avoid hidden political agendas.

The Taiwan Thinktank found that 64.8 percent of the respondents agreed that the current high threshold — which requires the participation of 50 percent of eligible voters and with at least half of them casting a “yes” vote for the referendum to pass — should be eliminated, with only 22.4 percent not agreeing and 12.8 percent declining to answer, the think tank’s deputy executive director, Lai I-chung (賴怡忠), told a news conference.

EDITORIAL: Restore constitutional order

Tue, Apr 29, 2014 - Page 8

For the second time in as many months, President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration used water cannons to evict protesters and “restore social order,” as police removed thousands of anti-nuclear demonstrators from Zhongxiao W Road in Taipei yesterday morning.

The protesters were calling not only for the halt of construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮) — supported by more than 70 percent of the public according to most opinion polls — but for nuclear energy to be phased out completely.

NUCLEAR POWER DEBATE: Polls say majority favor suspending or aborting plant

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter
Tue, Apr 29, 2014 - Page 3

The majority of respondents in two public opinion surveys released yesterday support suspending or terminating the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮) and do not believe that the government is capable of handling a nuclear disaster.

In a poll conducted by Commonwealth magazine, 58.7 percent of respondents said they back scrapping the power plant entirely, while 27.2 percent were in favor of suspending the project and 14.1 percent did not provide an answer.

Lin I-hsiung hospitalized on seventh day of strike

‘LIVE ON’:：Lin was taken to hospital after visiting his family’s cemetery. It was not clear whether he would continue after vows to suspend the plant’s construction
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter
Tue, Apr 29, 2014 - Page 1

Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) yesterday was hospitalized on the seventh day of his hunger strike against the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and whether he could continue his protest remained unknown.

Lin was taken to National Taiwan University (NTU) Hospital emergency center at about 3:40pm for an examination after briefly leaving the site of his hunger strike in Taipei and paying tribute to his deceased family members in a cemetery in his hometown in Yilan County earlier in the day.

KMT antinuclear olive branch is ‘stalling,’ DPP says

By Alison Hsiao and Chris Wang  /  Staff reporters

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday agreed not to continue the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant’s No. 1 reactor and have the construction of the No. 2 reactor “suspended.”

KMT Culture and Communication Committee head Fan Chiang Tai-chi (范姜泰基) briefed reporters late yesterday afternoon about the decision, reached during a meeting convened by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who also serves as party chairman.

“Construction of the plant’s No. 1 reactor will not continue (不施工), but still go through safety checks, after which it will be sealed up (封存), while construction of the No. 2 reactor will be suspended (停工),” he said.

DPP proposes 25 percent threshold to scrap plant

‘EQUAL OPPORTUNITY’:：Su said a threshold based on vote share would be fairer, while Lin I-hsiung threatened suicide if medical treatment is forced on him against his wishes
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter
Mon, Apr 28, 2014 - Page 1

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday conceded its previous insistence on a simple majority threshold in the referendum for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant to appeal to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to end the hunger strike of anti-nuclear advocate Lin I-hsiung (林義雄).

The party proposed a threshold based on vote share, rather than turnout, requiring one-quarter of eligible votes to pass a anti-nuclear decision via the referendum.

Academia Sinica wades into debate on nuclear power

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

More than two dozen researchers at the Academia Sinica released a joint statement yesterday, calling for political parties to establish a workable and reasonable mechanism for a national referendum on construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant before the facility becomes operational.

“There is still time for rational discussions before the power plant at New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮) becomes operational,” said the joint statement of 25 researchers, released on the same day as an anti-nuclear rally in Taipei yesterday.

LI worried about trade talks: DPP

‘DEEP CONCERN’:International political party alliance Liberal International also expressed concern over the ‘excessive use of force’ by police against protesters
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

An international alliance of political parties has expressed concerns about a lack of transparency and due procedure in the trade talks between Taiwan and China, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday.

“The Liberal International [LI] expresses its deep concern at the excessive use of force by Taiwanese police against the on-going student and civil protests in Taiwan, as well as a lack of transparency and violation of due process in the government’s negotiation of the trade pact with China,” the DPP quoted the group’s press release as saying.