The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) dismissed reports yesterday that the party and the government reached a consensus on approving the status of Taipei County to sabotage former premier Su Tseng-chang’s (蘇貞昌) chances of becoming county commissioner.
The comments came after Chinese newspapers reported that the KMT, the Presidential Office and the Cabinet reached an agreement in a private meeting earlier this month to allow the upgrade of Taipei County to a special municipality. Taichung City and Taichung County would also be merged to form special municipalities, as would Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County.
If those cities and counties were upgraded, elections presently scheduled for December would be delayed to coincide with Taipei City and Taichung City elections in September next year, allowing the current leaders to remain in office for an additional nine months.
Critics say the upgrade of Taipei County to a Special Municipality would benefit Taipei County Commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), who has been suffering from low approval ratings and has vowed to step down if the county isn’t upgraded.
There has been speculation that Su would win if he contested Chou in December elections.
Both Su and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lashed out at the government’s alleged plan yesterday, condemning the KMT for seeking to manipulate the year-end elections.
KMT Spokesman Lee Chien-rong (李建榮) said the upgrade of local cities and counties was planned according to the amendment of the Local Government Act (地方制度法), which was approved by the legislature.
“The amendment was approved by the legislature. We urge Su and the DPP not to look at the issue from the point of their own interests,” he said.
Lee said the delayed elections were stipulated in the amendment and that altering the election date for the Taipei County commissioner election would not be targeting Su.
The KMT has completed the primary process in most cities and counties, but has delayed it in Taipei County, Taoyuan County, Taichung City, Taichung County, Tainan County and Pingtung County because the six cities and counties could be approved for status upgrade.
Meanwhile, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) vowed to enhance communication with Kaohsiung County Government yesterday after the city council surprised many on Monday by approving the city government’s plan to seek a merger with the county by the end of next year. Chen told reporters in the council that she would immediately submit the plan to the Ministry of the Interior for review and begin preparations for the merger.
Chen said she would communicate with the Kaohsiung County Government regarding how to deal with the finances of the city and county after the merger. The city council accepted a proposal by the city government to reconsider the council’s rejection of the merger plan on Monday. Councilors present during the session then unanimously supported the plan with a round of applause at 5:30pm.
Chen had previously expressed pessimism that the city and county could complete their planned merger by the end of next year after the city council rejected the plan last week.
Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said yesterday that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) did not have any preference for the merger of counties and cities, adding that the government would handle the applications without discrimination.
Applications from counties and cities interested in a merger would be handled “impartially,” he said.
“It is pure rumor that it is all cut and dried,” Wang said. “Nor is there any preference.”
Wang dismissed speculation that the planned mergers will run counter to Ma’s earlier proposal of “three metropolitans and 15 counties.”
The administration will respect local opinion, Wang said, and the Ministry of the Interior will handle the matter fairly if the requirements are met.
Wang made the remarks in response to a report in the Chinese-language United Daily News saying that Taichung County and City and Kaohsiung County and City were set for mergers and that Taipei County would be upgraded, while Tainan County and City, traditionally strongholds of the DPP, were unlikely to get their wish.
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