00:00A tense night in Taiwan as the results came in for a referendum to restart nuclear power
00:07in the country, as well as recall campaigns to remove seven opposition lawmakers.
00:12Both failed, meaning that the country may remain nuclear-free and the opposition bloc
00:17will keep its majority in the legislature. But the results send a strong message to
00:22President Lai Ching-de and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
00:25Over four million people voted in favor of restarting the country's last decommissioned
00:30nuclear power plant, pending safety checks. Although it wasn't enough to meet the threshold
00:35of five million votes, it's a sign that people are not satisfied with the DPP's energy policy.
00:55政府会坚守三大原则,也就是核安无虞,核费有解,社会有共识.
01:03这是我们稳健面对核人议题的坚定立场。
01:07因此,如果未来技术更安全,核费料更少,社会接受度更高,
01:16我们并不会排除先进核能。
01:19Lai said he would ask Taiwan's state-owned electricity company,
01:23TaiPower, to conduct safety assessments of decommissioned nuclear power reactors.
01:28It's an apparent pivot from the ruling DPP's usual staunch anti-nuclear stance.
01:33The party has long promoted the goal of achieving a nuclear-free homeland by 2025.
01:38It was achieved when the last reactor at the Ma Anshan nuclear power plant was shut down this May.
01:44Lai's statement could be seen as a positive change by the opposition parties,
01:48who have been pushing for a return to nuclear power.
01:51They say it could improve the country's energy security and help power its tech-heavy industries.
01:57Saturday also brought a big relief to the main opposition, Kuomintang.
02:01Recall efforts against seven KMT lawmakers failed,
02:04the last of dozens of the party's lawmakers to survive recall votes this summer.
02:09KMT Chair Eric Zhu called it a warning to President Lai and the ruling DPP.
02:13KMT Chairman Andrew Kooi, President Lai and the Nguyen,
02:15KMT Chairman
02:15KMT Chairman, KMT Chairman, KMT Today's decision-off
02:32The recalls spurred by citizens upset with a series of controversial bills and major
02:57budget cuts spearheaded by the opposition have spurred debate in the country's political
03:01sphere. The DPP said the opposition alliance in the legislature made it difficult for the
03:06administration to fulfill its policy promises. The KMT called the mass recall movement a crusade
03:11against the opposition voices. But these KMT lawmakers say the result of the recall votes
03:17is not a win for anyone.
03:31Now the failure of the mass recall campaigns and high public support for the opposition-backed
03:49nuclear referendum are a huge blow to the ruling party. Trouble is already stirring in the cabinet
03:55which saw three high-ranking officials, including two ministers, resign on Friday.
04:00In his speech, President Lai said more changes to the cabinet are coming.
04:04And KMT Chair Eric Zhu, whose term ends in October, officially invited Taichung Mayor
04:09Lu Xiuyan to take up his position, signaling a new era for the party.
04:14As the effects of the referendum and recall votes continue to unfold,
04:18this day will be remembered as a pivotal point in Taiwan's politics for years to come.
04:23Devin Tsai, Ryan Wu, and Tiffany Wong for Taiwan Plus.
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