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Fists fly at city council meeting

Democratic Progressive Party Councilor Chen Cheng-teh, left, runs after New Party Councilor Lee Ching-yuan, center, at the Taipei City Council yesterday to stop him from pulling down a portrait of President Chen Shui-bian. During the conflict, the councilors fell down and the portrait was damaged. PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUI, TAIPEI TIMES

Violence broke out at the Taipei City Council yesterday as New Party city councilors damaged a portrait of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

The dispute over the presidential election interrupted the city council's first question-and-answer session since the election as Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was about to present a report on his handling of the pan-blue camp's rallies over the past month.

When New Party Councilor Lee Ching-yuan (李慶元) took his turn to speak, he accused Chen of using tricks to win the election, called the election unfair, and said Chen was not qualified to be a national leader.

After finishing his statement, Lee and fellow New Party Councilor Hou Kuan-chiung (侯冠群) rushed to pull down a portrait of Chen that was hanging at the back of the council chambers.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Councilor Chen Cheng-teh (陳正德) moved to stop Lee and Hou. During the fracas, the three councilors fell down and the portrait was damaged.

Lee and Hou were slightly injured and council proceedings were interrupted for nearly three hours.

When the council session resumed at 6pm, DPP caucus leader Chou Po-ya (周柏雅) asked council speaker Wu Bi-chu (吳碧珠) to file charges against Lee for damaging public property and asked Lee to apologize for his actions.

"We felt sorry that Lee and his party attempted to sabotage the stability of society and intended to alienate ethnic groups with acrid remarks," Chou said, adding that the DPP caucus will not return to the council unless Wu deals with Lee's and Hou's behavior.

Meanwhile, Lee accused DPP councilors Lo Chung-shen (羅宗勝) and Chou Wei-yu (周威佑) of beating him, and said it was Chen Cheng-teh who should take responsibility for damaging the portrait.

Prior to the scuffle over the portrait, councilors argued over procedural rules and engaged in fistfights.

Pan-blue camp councilors proposed a provisional bill that asked Chen Shui-bian to issue a special report explaining the March 19 assassination attempt.

DPP councilors rejected the proposal, calling it ridiculous and needless. They said it was yet another irrational request from the pan-blue camp, which still refuses to concede defeat in the election.

"Moreover, it is not the right of the city council but the right of the Legislative Yuan to ask Chen to make such a report," said DPP Councilor Wilson Tien (田欣). "I ask the pan-blue camp to stop using their imagination and false accusations to polarize the nation. Please let our society calm down."

DPP Councilor Wang Shih-chien (王世堅) asked Ma to rewrite his assessment of the protests, calling the report "the most ridiculous one" he has read since Ma became mayor.

"Ma was using rhetoric as if he were still the national campaign manager of the pan-blue camp," Wang said. "It is simply a statement of defeat published on behalf of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰)."

People First Party Councilor Wang Yu-cheng (王育誠) fought with Wang Shih-chien after he made the remarks, but the two were quickly separated by other councilors.
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