Opposition lawmakers under threat
Taiwanese citizens went to the polls on Saturday to vote on whether to oust seven opposition lawmakers from office and balance a return to nuclear energy. This is the second recall election in less than a month, after a July 26 recall election where 24 opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) members were successful in fending off efforts to have them ousted.
The recalls are seen as an effort by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, which lost its majority in last year’s election, to regain control of the 113-seat legislature. The DPP retains the presidency but the KMT, having 52 seats, has joined forces with the Taiwan People’s Party to push through legislation, thwarting the ruling party.
Nuclear power back on the agenda
The recall election is simultaneously a referendum on whether to revive Taiwan’s most recently closed nuclear power plant, the Maanshan station in the south, which shut down in May after 40 years of power generation. The DPP has been systematically eliminating nuclear power, which in the past supplied around 20 percent of the island’s electricity.
The proponents of reviving the reactor believe that nuclear power would reduce the cost of electricity and address growing energy needs, particularly with the growth of artificial intelligence uses. The referendum, supported by the Nationalists and the Taiwan People’s Party, is whether the Maanshan plant should be opened, subject to oversight standards for safety.
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Industry voices contribute
The problem has caught the eye of the tech industry. Taiwan-born Nvidia founder Jensen Huang was quoted supporting the development of nuclear power to service energy demands driven by AI. “There are great technologies for green energy solar and wind and nuclear is a great choice,” Huang stated upon landing in Taipei. Nvidia previously announced a deal with Foxconn to construct an AI supercomputer for Taiwanese researchers and firms, underlining increasing demand for stable electricity.
The recall and referendum elections are viewed as a test case for Taiwan’s political future, energy policy, and the balance of power within the legislature. The result, observers say, will determine the direction of the island’s energy policy for years to come, while serving as an indicator of the ruling DPP’s electorate’s faith in the party amid opposition pressure.
