Marchers demand Taiwan N-plant vote

The line of protesters stretched for over a kilometre

Protesters have taken to the streets of Taipei to demand a referendum to decide the fate of a controversial nuclear power plant after a government decision to restart work on the project.

Some 10,000 anti-nuclear supporters, wearing yellow headbands, chanted slogans and waved placards as they marched through the centre of the Taiwanese capital.

Marchers included advisers to President Chen Shui-bian and senior figures from his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Prime Minister Chang is accused of betraying supporters

"Whether or not to continue the project of fourth nuclear power plant should be decided by all the people here," said the demonstration's organisers, Taiwan Environmental Protest Alliance and Green Party.

The demonstration came after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government last week reversed its decision to scrap a project for a fourth nuclear power plant.

Policy u-turn

"It is about Taiwan's future. I have to be here for our children and grandchildren as well as for our beautiful island," said one demonstrator, Lu Hai-po.

The decision to continue with the project represents a painful u-turn on the part of the DPP, which has in the past been staunchly anti-nuclear.

It was voted into office for the first time last year, with the support of the anti-nuclear groups.

In October, the government gave them their reward when it announced that it was scrapping the nuclear plant.

Internal division

However, the opposition parties, which hold the balance of power in parliament, have since forced the government to back down.

Many of the DPP's own members were horrified that their cabinet caved in, some officials from the DPP also participated in the rally, including former party chairman, Lin Yi-hsiung, and secretary-general, Wu Nai-jen.

Many people voted for Chen Shui-bian in the presidential elections last March precisely because he had promised to scrap the project, but now they are beginning to doubt whether they made the right choice,

As one protester, Wu Chang-hsun, said, "he let us down."

The cabinet insists it is still committed to making Taiwan nuclear free and is hoping to introduce measures to legalise the use of referendums on the island.

But correspondents say it will face a damaging battle with the nationalists if it tries to revive its attempts to scrap the nuclear plant.