Swords drawn over Taiwan nuclear plant

There have been street protests against the plant

Taiwan's prime minister has staunchly defended his controversial decision to scrap a nuclear power plant project, to the fury of opposition deputies.

We must take into consideration the well-being of our descendants

Prime Minister Chang

Addressing parliament, Chang Chun-hsiung said the proposed nuclear plant - the fourth in Taiwan - would not be a safe source of energy.

He said the island, which is prone to earthquakes, was ill-equipped to store radioactive waste or to deal with a nuclear accident.

Chang made a strong appeal to deputies

"Once a nuclear disaster occurs Taiwan, which is small in size, cannot possibly evacuate people," Mr Chang said. The issue has caused a bitter political dispute, with opposition deputies threatening to topple the new government by calling for an indefinite recess of parliament.

Court ruling

[It's] an issue of life and survival... concerning the future welfare of all

Prime Minister Chang

In a 34-page report, Mr Chang listed nine reasons for his decision to halt the construction of the $5.5bn plant, which is already one-third complete.

The prime minister was ordered to appear before parliament by Taiwan's highest court, which ruled he must win the support of parliament to proceed with his policy.

The nuclear power plant is about one-third built

Last October, the government scrapped the plant without consulting parliament.

The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) had demanded to be involved in a decision over the plant, having pushed through the project while it was still in power.

The KMT has argued that scrapping the 2,700-megawatt plant was unconstitutional, could lead to power shortages and was undermining business confidence.

Vote due

Legislators are due to vote on the issue on Wednesday.

They may not be swayed by the prime minister's assurances that Taiwan will suffer no power shortages because alternative sources of energy will be developed.

Anti-nuclear activists protested outside parliament

In his address, Mr Chang showed deputies a portrait of a deformed child, a victim of a nuclear accident.

He had only just returned from a three-month ban from parliament, imposed by opposition deputies in retaliation for halting the project.

The decision to cancel the plant means the government will have to pay almost $3bn in compensation.

The political turmoil has also brought Taiwan's stock market to its knees.

The island's three main opposition parties hold 141 of the legislature's 221 seats. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party has 68, with the remainder held by independents.