Mon, Dec 17, 2001 page1

• DPP pledges aid for local governments

  FINANCIAL HELP After the setback the ruling party suffered in local elections, the president and premier sought ways to boost the relationship between the central and local governments

  • By Ko Shu-ling / STAFF REPORTER
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  President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) met with newly elected local government chiefs yesterday and pledged to offer them a helping hand in alleviating financial problems in their districts.

  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.

  

  President Chen Shui-bian, right, and Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang shake hands at a meet with local government chiefs yesterday.

  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 (馬英九) to be the head, the DPP's Changhua County commissioner-elect, Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠), announced Friday that she would like to form a similar alliance.

  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 (胡志強) called on the public not to look at the matter from a political perspective. "The elections are over; I hope everybody puts aside partisan differences and becomes real friends," he said.

  Independent Miaoli County commissioner-elect Fu Hseuh-peng (傅學鵬) said that he is still weighing the issue. "I need to know more about the function of the two organizations before making a final decision," he said.

  Taitung County commissioner-elect Hsu Ching-yuan (徐慶元) of the PFP said that he has not considered joining either alliance. "If I haven't been invited, there's no issue of whether to join," he said.
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