Taiwan’s government says there are major safety concerns around generating nuclear power in earthquake-prone Taiwan and handling nuclear waste.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te told reporters on Saturday evening that while the referendum had failed, he understood “society’s expectations for diverse energy options”.
“If in the future, the technology becomes safer, nuclear waste is reduced, and societal acceptance increases, we will not rule out advanced nuclear energy,” he added.
In a separate vote on Saturday, electors rejected the recall of seven KMT lawmakers.
A larger recall vote, to try and oust 24 lawmakers from the same party, also failed last month.
Civic groups that had run the recall campaigns, with the backing of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), accused the lawmakers of being too close to China and intentionally trying to snarl government spending and legislation, charges the legislators strongly denied.
Lai said Premier Cho Jung-tai had asked many times to resign after the failure of the recall votes in July, but he had asked Cho to stay on.
There will be a Cabinet reshuffle to make the team more efficient and governance more effective, Lai added.
The two opposition parties together form a majority in parliament, although the DPP controls the presidency and hence the government in Taiwan’s system.
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