nuclear-news

Bulgarians begin voting in confusing nuclear referendum

27 Jan 2013

Sofia (dpa) – Bulgarians began casting ballots Sunday in a referendum on the future of nuclear energy which is likely to fail due to an insufficient turnout.

Turnout is expected to fall short because many voters are confused by the question at hand: “Should nuclear energy be developed in Bulgaria through construction of a new nuclear power plant?”

Depending upon how that question is interpreted, voters are being asked to support future generation at an existing plant in Kozloduy, which may be expanded with additional generators, or one in Belene, some 100 kilometres downstream.

Bulgaria began working on Belene in the 1980s, but froze the work in the 1990s.

The project was revived in the next decade, only to be placed on ice once again by the present conservative cabinet, which scrapped the plan involving Russian contractors as outrageously overpriced.

The way the referendum question has been formulated, it could mean restarting work at Belene, which is favoured by the opposition Socialists, or adding new units at Kozloduy, something for which Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has interceded.

That means, regardless of whether the “yes” or “no” votes takes the day, Bulgaria leaders will have wiggle room in deciding if and where to plan future nuclear power production.

And the whole exercise could be rendered moot if the referendum fails, as expected, because turnout proves to include less than 60 per cent of the electorate, as required.

Latest surveys predicted a 27-37 per cent turnout. Voting begins at 6 am and ends at 7 pm (0400-1700 GMT). dpa bb ncs Author: Boris Babic

http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/bulgarians-begin-voting-in-confusing-nuclear-referendum_260901.html

January 27, 2013 - Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized