Bulgarians vote on nuclear plant
Reuters
2013-01-27
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Bulgaria holds a national referendum to decide the fate of a controversial nuclear plant.
The vote comes after the government moved to scrap the facility - planned for the city of Belene on the Danube River.
With a pricetag of $13.5 billion, rightist Prime Minister Boiko Borisov says it's too expensive.
But polls suggest two-thirds of voters want the plant - with many hoping it will rein in electricity prices.
(SOUNDBITE)(Bulgarian) VOTER, STEFAN SHLYAPEV, SAYING:
"We won't be here in a few years, but the young people - they will need electricity! So this power plant has to be built in my opinion."
The referendum was backed by Bulgaria's opposition Socialist Party.
It is seen as a key test for Borisov, though referendum rules make it unlikely that any decision will be binding.
The vote comes after the government moved to scrap the facility - planned for the city of Belene on the Danube River.
With a pricetag of $13.5 billion, rightist Prime Minister Boiko Borisov says it's too expensive.
But polls suggest two-thirds of voters want the plant - with many hoping it will rein in electricity prices.
(SOUNDBITE)(Bulgarian) VOTER, STEFAN SHLYAPEV, SAYING:
"We won't be here in a few years, but the young people - they will need electricity! So this power plant has to be built in my opinion."
The referendum was backed by Bulgaria's opposition Socialist Party.
It is seen as a key test for Borisov, though referendum rules make it unlikely that any decision will be binding.
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