Starting in Taipei today, Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) is visiting 19 sites that have been proposed as possible new locations for the Legislative Yuan.
You yesterday thanked the local governments, saying that he would assess the viability of each location.
The building that houses the Legislative Yuan has for years been fraught with problems, which prompted You to establish a committee that would propose a solution.
Photo: Hsieh Chun-lin, Taipei Times
All proposals are to be discussed by party representatives before a decision is reached.
Relocating the legislature might take a decade or two, but it “has to start somewhere,” You said, adding that he hopes to get opinions and professional assessments from every sector.
You and committee convener Lin Jou-min (林洲民) yesterday explained their location search-and-selection process to reporters.
Over the past 30 years, 15 locations have been proposed, You said, adding that rebuilding on the current site was one of them.
Five of the proposed locations are in Taipei: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the 202nd Arsenal and Joint Logistics Command, Huashan 1914 Creative Park, the former Air Force Command Headquarters and the Huaguang Community, he said.
You said he welcomed four recent proposals from Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲): the Taipei Military Police building, the Taipei Reserve Command, the vehicle tow yard in Wanhua District (萬華) and the Chientan Youth Activity Center.
You plans to visit the New Taipei City Government on Thursday next week, followed by the Taichung City Government, the Changhua County Government and the Yilan County Government.
You said he would keep an open mind and ask a lot of questions.
This is not the first time that moving or rebuilding the legislature has been discussed, as there was a proposal in 1990 to move the legislature to the now-defunct Huashan Station.
The proposal was passed in 1992, but then abandoned because the budget was cut by the next legislature.
In 1999, the former Air Force Command Headquarters was proposed and a special budget was passed for the project.
That plan also fell through after the Taipei City Council opposed urban development changes and disaster relief became the priority following the 921 Earthquake.
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