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Ma, Lee debate their visions for Taipei

Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, left, watches DPP challenger Lee Ying-yuan speak during their public debate yesterday. PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

The first televised debate between two candidates for the position of mayor of Taipei City was staged yesterday.

Incumbent Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of the KMT and DPP candidate Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) went in front of the TV cameras to pitch their visions for the city and criticize the other's blueprint, sometimes in sarcastic ways, stirring up laughter from the audience that packed the auditorium of the Civil Service Development Institute in Taipei City.

Although they traded barbs during the debate, both candidates were polite to each other, as were the supporters who attended the event.

The two-hour debate began with a 10-minute speech by each candidate, followed by their answers to questions raised by a panel of journalists and an academic chosen by the organizers.

The panel was made up of Yu Kuo-chi (俞國基), executive vice president of the Liberty Times, Huang Su-chuan (黃素娟), editor in chief of the United Daily News, Huang Ching-long (黃清龍), editor in chief of the China Times, and Ku Chung-hwa (顧忠華), chairman of the Taipei Society.

This was followed by a debate between the two, with each candidate putting questions and parrying questions from the other.

Many issues about the city came up during the debate, notably Lee's advocacy of relocating Sungshan Airport out of the city to make way for a public park and Ma's advocacy of using the airport as a terminal for direct flights to and from China.

"Sungshan Airport would be ideal for such flights and convenient for Taiwanese business executives who have operations in China," said Ma, adding that many businessmen in Nankang and Neihu technology parks shared his views.

Lee said that Ma's plan presented too much of a security risk.

Removal of the airport would not only free the surrounding residents from noise pollution but also free the surrounding buildings from the height restrictions now imposed because of aviation safety concerns.

"With the removal of the airport, the area can be surrounded by massive Manhattan-style apartment buildings," Lee said. "And the construction of a 182-hectare city park can offer a more livable living environment" for residents of the area.

When asked by the panel that whether a referendum would be considered to help settle the issue, Ma and Lee responded differently.

Ma said that he was not opposed to the holding of a referendum but such a mechanism did not exist at the present time and therefore other ways of assessing public opinion such as conducting polls or holding public hearings, might be used.

Lee, on the other hand, supported the idea of a referendum, saying that such a measure was an expression of democracy and that he would work to push for the passage of legislation providing for the holding of referendums in the Legislature Yuan.

The proposed domed stadium for Taipei City was also a topic of heated debate during which Ma slammed Lee for being inconsistent.

"While Lee was the Cabinet secretary-general, he approved the city's request to build the proposed stadium on the site of the old Sungshan tobacco factory (松山菸廠)," Ma said. "Yet now, bidding for the mayoral seat, he [Lee] has changed his mind and wants to build the stadium in Shihlin."

Responding to Ma's criticism, Lee clarified that the approval document then had clearly stated that the Cabinet approved the proposal reluctantly with the stated conditions that the city government must first take care of issues such as aviation concerns, land acquisition, traffic flow and preservation of the site's historical value before starting construction.

"Besides," said Lee, who resigned from his secretary-general post in June to run for mayor, "Now that I am running for mayor, I have the right to offer a better location for building the proposed stadium."

Lee added that his plan to build the stadium in Shihlin could help boost business opportunities in the area.

Lee spent a lot of time finding fault with Ma's performance on the job, while Ma went to great lengths to defend his achievements.

Lee criticized Ma's crisis-reaction ability and the efficiency of the Taipei City Government under his leadership, citing what he called the postponement of major projects and the inundation of the city's underground mass transit system when Typhoon Nari hit the city on Sept. 17 last year.

Facing Lee's fierce attacks, soft-spoken Ma never lost his cool. He patiently and calmly answered his rival's challenges, saying that he wanted to make the race a pride of the country by winning it through his merits and his past achievements rather than by badmouthing his rival.

In answering questions from journalists, Ma ruled out the possibility of his deserting his job at City Hall, if he wins, to join the 2004 race for the presidency.

Both candidates lauded the debate as a success afterward, although neither would grade his own performance, saying it is up to the voters.

At the debate, Ma said he was willing to hold a second debate, a suggestion welcomed by Lee. The date and location of the second debate has yet to be decided.
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