Top Taiwan judges avoid crisis over N-plant

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

Top Taiwan judges avoid crisis over N-plant

TAIPEI, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Taiwan's top judges avoided a political 
crisis on Monday by describing a cabinet decision to scrap a huge 
nuclear power plant as flawed but stopped short of calling it 
unconstitutional. 

The 15-member Council of Grand Justices, which rules on 
constitutional disputes, ruled Premier Chang Chun-hsiung should 
appear in parliament to defend his decision last October to halt 
construction of the US$5.5 billion nuclear project. 

If it is cancelled, the project could cost the government $3 billion, 
the Economics Ministry has said. 

The council of judges also proposed the legislature pass a special 
bill to resume construction of the plant, which the opposition 
Nationalists say is crucial but the ruling Democratic Progress Party 
believes is unnecessary. 

The ruling appeared to have avoided a constitutional crisis by 
sending the issue back to the legislature and taking the pressure off 
President Chen Shui-bian, whose premier Chang had been declared 
persona non grata by the opposition-ruled chamber. 

The controversy also led to the resignation of Premier Tang Fei in 
October and opposition threats to dismiss President Chen. The threats 
have since lost steam. 

On Monday, Vice-Premier Lai In-jaw said the ruling would "help 
stabilise society and the political situation." 

"The Executive Yuan respects and accepts the decision with pleasure," 
Lai said, referring to the cabinet. 

The issue is as much political as it is driven by voters' fears over 
potential environmental damage nuclear plants can cause after a 
string of nuclear accidents in nearby Japan. 

The 2,700-megawatt project was rammed through parliament by the 
previous Nationalist administration, saying it was vital for economic 
growth and to avoid power shortages in the future. 

But the project's future soon became in doubt after Chen and his anti-
nuclear DPP won elections last March. 

The DPP says there will be no power shortage for seven years even if 
no replacement power generator was found. It halted the project, the 
island's fourth and already one-third complete, angering Nationalist 
lawmakers. 

COURT GIVES OPTIONS 

Yang Jen-shou, secretary-general of the Judicial Yuan, quoted the 
council as saying if parliament still disagreed with the cabinet's 
decision to scrap the project, the legislature could topple the 
premier in a vote of no-confidence. 

But the 220-member legislature risked dissolution by the president 
who would then call snap elections, Yang said. The four-year term of 
deputies ends in late 2001. 

Premier Chang voluntarily stepping down was an alternative, Yang 
added. 

There was no immediate comment from Chen or Chang, both members of 
the DPP. 

Chou Po-lun, the DPP's legislative whip, said the ruling party was 
willing to hold negotiations with an opposition coalition, led by the 
main opposition Nationalist Party. 

Taiwan stocks closed higher earlier on Monday despite caution ahead 
of the judicial ruling. The Taiwan dollar closed unchanged. 

Parliamentary speaker Wang Jin-pyng, a Nationalist vice-chairman, 
said the government's decision to scrap the plant was to blame for 
the island's economic woes. 

"The premier's rash, unilateral decision to halt construction of the 
fourth nuclear power plant caused the economy to slow down and 
unemployment to rise," Wang told a news conference. 

"The premier should find a way out of this." 

Premier Chang has said Taiwan's inability to dispose of nuclear waste 
or deal with any nuclear accident made him shelve the project. 

Taiwan has said it would honour contracts and compensate foreign 
suppliers, including General Electric of the United States and 
Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, and hopes to sell the 
nuclear reactors. 

(US$ = T$33) 

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Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc.			E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 				                           
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue  		E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com          	          
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Personal Website: http://sandyfl.nukeworker.net
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