Taiwan justices begin reviewing nuclear decision

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Taiwan justices begin reviewing nuclear decision
  
TAIPEI, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Council of Grand Justices, which 
interprets the constitution, began reviewing on Thursday a cabinet 
decision to end construction on a nuclear power plant, which had 
ignited an acrimonious partisan feud. 

Taiwan's premier Chang Chun-hsiung announced in October it would 
scrap the island's US$5.5 billion fourth nuclear power plant, now 
already one-third complete, citing safety concerns. 

The opposition-dominated legislature challenged the decision, saying 
it had already approved the budget for the nuclear plant and the 
cabinet's move was unconstitutional. 

On Thursday, representatives from both the Executive Yuan, or 
cabinet, and the lawmaking Legislative Yuan began submitting evidence 
and making their case to the Grand Justices. 

"The legislature's budget merely gives the Executive Yuan the right 
to build the fourth nuclear plant. It is not an obligation," cabinet 
representative Hsu Tsung-li told reporters on the sidelines of the 
grand justice hearing. 

Lawmakers called the cabinet's override of the parliament's budget a 
show of bad faith. 

"If the Executive Yuan alone can make decisions on a major budget 
item and policy like the fourth nuclear plant, then I would like to 
ask if it can accept the legislature's supervision on other major 
policies and spending," queried opposition People First Party 
lawmaker Chou Hsi-wei. 

The nine-member Council of Grand Justices is expected to take several 
months before making their decision, judicial officials said. A two-
thirds majority is required before the judicial body hands down a 
ruling. 

New president Chen Shui-bian's Democratic Progressive Party has 
traditionally opposed nuclear power, and he initiated a review of the 
nuclear plant project after taking office in May, sweeping out the 
long-ruling Nationalist Party. 

The cabinet decided in October to scrap the nuclear project in favour 
of private liquefied natural gas plants, ending a pet Nationalist 
project. 

The cancellation crushed budding multipartisan cooperation and led 
the opposition Nationalist, People First, and New Parties to form a 
loose coalition and call for Chen's dismissal. 

Most business leaders favour the nuclear plant, fearing power 
shortages in the future. 

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's cut state utility firm Taiwan Power 
Co's long-term rating to "AA-" from "AA" with a negative outlook, 
after placing the company on creditwatch following the cancellation. 

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