nuclear-news

Bulgarian opposition demands vote on nuclear plans SOFIA, July 27 Jul 27, 2012   (Reuters) – Bulgaria’s opposition Socialists on Friday demanded a referendum to challenge the government’s decision to abandon construction of a nuclear power plant, an increasingly divisive issue in the run up to next year’s parliamentary election.

The Socialists submitted more than 770,000 signatures to parliament
calling for the referendum – well above the half million they need to
force a plebiscite.

But analysts said the government would likely resist efforts to revive
a national debate on the fate of the planned Russian-built 2,000
megawatt Belene plant.

The centre-right cabinet cancelled the project in March saying it was
too costly and had failed to attract serious interest from Western
investors.

But the Socialists have argued the country had already sunk too much
money into the project to abandon it. “We do not want important issues
like this – (whether) to develop nuclear energy in Bulgaria or not –
to be decided behind closed doors,” Socialist Party leader Sergei
Stanishev said after lodging the signatures in the parliament……
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/27/bulgaria-nuclear-idUSL6E8IR9BU20120727

July 29, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, politics