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DPP dismisses Ma’s
opposition to Kuokuang complex as electioneering
By Tang Chia-ling / Staff Reporter, with CNA
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has criticized President Ma Ying-jeou’s
(馬英九) announcement on Friday that he opposes construction of the proposed
Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co (KPTC, 國光石化) naphtha cracker complex in
central Taiwan as a decision made out of “election considerations.”
The policy change will “hurt Taiwan’s 2012 presidential election,” DPP
legislative whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said.
He did not elaborate.
In response to mounting opposition to the planned complex, Ma told a press
conference on Friday afternoon that he “will not support going ahead with
constructing the complex in the central county of Changhua.”
However, Ma fell short of saying how the government would safeguard the domestic
petrochemical industry without the Changhua complex.
“President Ma should state clearly whether there is a replacement planned for
the NT$600 billion [US$20.8 billion] Changhua project,” Ker said.
DPP Legislator Pan Men-an (潘孟安) also challenged Ma, who yesterday registered as
the sole candidate seeking the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) nomination for
next year’s presidential election, to name an alternative location for the
complex if it is not to be built in Changhua.
DPP presidential hopeful Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said she hoped Ma’s
decision was not political motivated.
Saying the current petrochemical complexes in Taiwan are enough to supply the
needs of the mid-stream and downstream sectors, Tsai said that if KPTC wishes to
better compete in the global market, it would be better to build its complex
closer to oil-producing regions.
Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), another DPP presidential hopeful, said Taiwan needed a
homeland development policy.
“In the past, we only cared about the development of industries, but now we
should review our industry and environment policies,” he said.
KMT Legislator Cheng Ju-fen (鄭汝芬), who represents the Chang-hua constituency,
said that she and many local residents were very disappointed at the
government’s decision to scrap the Changhua plant.
Wu Ming-yu (吳明玉), chief of Dacheng Township (大城), where the plant was originally
to have been located, said his township and nearby areas were counting on the
new project as a boost to the local economy and that Ma’s decision was
“unacceptable.”
Wang Chi-hui (王棋會), chief of Gungguan Village (公館) in the township, said that in
making his decision, Ma had listened to just “the voices of the few
environmentalists and has ignored the fact that a far greater number of people
at the grassroots level want the complex and the resulting improved economy.”
Meanwhile, at a separate setting yesterday, former Academia Sinica president Lee
Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) said that from a global perspective, the KPTC project should not
be developed in Taiwan or abroad.
Taiwan and people worldwide should not build bigger and newer petrochemical
plants, but instead focus on developing renewable resources, he said, adding
that a simplification of all aspects of life and the creation of a more “carbon
efficient” societal structure would also help reduce carbon emissions.
Lee said the constant replacement of cellphones and computers is wasteful and is
simply a means for corporations to make money, and that changing our habits
would see our consumption of natural resources reduced.
Lee called on the government to map out long-term policies concerning
corporations and energy and to not just act passively.
Chou Chang-hung (周昌弘), an Academia Sinica specialist in plant ecology and
phytochemical ecology who began a petition against the KPTC project, described
Ma’s latest directives concerning the project as stalling methods.
“If the project is only halted in Changhua and if it is then going to be built
somewhere else [in Taiwan,] I’m going to fight against it all the way,” Chou
said.
However, Chou said he is in favor of relocating the project abroad, as long as
it is built where there are few people close by and it minimizes its
environmental impact.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG
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