President Chen Shui-bian (
The two made the pledge despite DPP setbacks in the city mayoral and county commissioner polls two weeks ago.
The DPP, which controlled 12 districts in 1997, won just nine city and county districts this time around. The KMT, which previously controlled eight counties, was victorious in nine districts.
PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Independent candidates and the People First Party (PFP) captured two districts each, while the New Party took only Kinmen County.
Addressing a meeting of 23 newly elected city mayors and county commissioners yesterday afternoon, Chen said that he will use his power to try to strengthen the relationship between the central and local governments.
"The relationship between central and local governments is like that of partners. We should all work together to benefit democracy and the economy," Chen said. "Since previous administrations failed to do a good job in this, I don't intend to let it happen again."
Chen added that, as times change, government officials should try to adjust accordingly.
"Try to listen more, see more and think more," he said.
To listen more, Chen said, is to listen to the voices of the public and people from different political parties. To see more is to see the future of Taiwan and search for a common consensus and common interests and values, according to Chen.
And to think more, he said, is to ponder how to stabilize the political situation, spur the economy and improve cross-strait relations.
Anticipating local heads would complain about their financial plight, Chang said before the closed-door meeting that the Cabinet will adopt certain measures in a bid to help local governments cope with their fiscal woes.
"In addition to trying to find more money and allocating it more effectively, we'll launch a lobbying campaign at the legislature to release NT$19.4 billion in supplementary public-works subsidies," he said.
Local governments that owe money to the central government will also be allowed to delay their payments until after the Chinese New Year holidays, Chen said.
Meanwhile, local government chiefs across party lines expressed divided views over whether they would participate in two different blocs recently proposed by the KMT and DPP.
After nine newly elected KMT city mayors and county commissioners proposed forming an opposition alliance and inviting Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Kaohsiung County commissioner-elect Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) of the DPP said that he would like to see the formation of the competing alliance. "By meeting on a regular basis, we can not only reinforce our fellowship but also try to help learn from each other," he said.
Taichung City mayor-elect Jason Hu (
Independent Miaoli County commissioner-elect Fu Hseuh-peng (
Taitung County commissioner-elect Hsu Ching-yuan (
UPDATED (3:40pm): A suspected gas explosion at a shopping mall in Taichung this morning has killed four people and injured 20 others, as emergency responders continue to investigate. The explosion occurred on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi in Situn District (西屯) at 11:33am. One person was declared dead at the scene, while three people were declared deceased later after receiving emergency treatment. Another 20 people sustained major or minor injuries. The Taichung Fire Bureau said it received a report of the explosion at 11:33am and sent rescuers to respond. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, it said. The National Fire
ACCOUNTABILITY: The incident, which occured at a Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store in Taichung, was allegedly caused by a gas explosion on the 12th floor Shin Kong Group (新光集團) president Richard Wu (吳昕陽) yesterday said the company would take responsibility for an apparent gas explosion that resulted in four deaths and 26 injuries at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Zhonggang Store in Taichung yesterday. The Taichung Fire Bureau at 11:33am yesterday received a report saying that people were injured after an explosion at the department store on Section 3 of Taiwan Boulevard in Taichung’s Situn District (西屯). It sent 56 ambulances and 136 paramedics to the site, with the people injured sent to Cheng Ching Hospital’s Chung Kang Branch, Wuri Lin Shin Hospital, Taichung Veterans General Hospital or Chung
ALL-IN-ONE: A company in Tainan and another in New Taipei City offer tours to China during which Taiwanese can apply for a Chinese ID card, the source said The National Immigration Agency and national security authorities have identified at least five companies that help Taiwanese apply for Chinese identification cards while traveling in China, a source said yesterday. The issue has garnered attention in the past few months after YouTuber “Pa Chiung” (八炯) said that there are companies in Taiwan that help Taiwanese apply for Chinese documents. Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) last week said that three to five public relations firms in southern and northern Taiwan have allegedly assisted Taiwanese in applying for Chinese ID cards and were under investigation for potential contraventions of the Act Governing
‘LAWFUL USE’: The last time a US warship transited the Taiwan Strait was on Oct. 20 last year, and this week’s transit is the first of US President Donald Trump’s second term Two US military vessels transited the Taiwan Strait from Sunday through early yesterday, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement, the first such mission since US President Donald Trump took office last month. The two vessels sailed south through the Strait, the ministry said, adding that it closely monitored nearby airspace and waters at the time and observed nothing unusual. The ministry did not name the two vessels, but the US Navy identified them as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and the Pathfinder-class survey ship USNS Bowditch. The ships carried out a north-to-south transit from
RSS