Taipei City Government yesterday retaliated against the central government's renaming of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall by announcing it would rename a section of Ketagalan Boulevard directly in front of the Presidential Office the "Anti-Corruption Democracy Square" (反貪腐民主廣場).
According to the city government's new plan, the section of Ketagalan Boulevard between Gongyuan Road (公園路) and Jingfumen (景福門) will be renamed, but further details on the designs of name plates and whether the plates will cover the old ones have yet to be determined.
"This decision has been made in line with suggestions from many residents. Fighting corruption is also a key municipal policy. Besides, the boulevard was also the scene of a large anti-corruption campaign last year," Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said yesterday at Taipei City Hall.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
Arguing that the name-change plan had nothing to do with its dispute with the Ministry of Education over the name change of CKS Memorial Hall, Hau insisted that the city government came up with the plan in response to residents' suggestions.
"Fighting corruption and democracy are universal values. I believe no one would oppose such an idea ? [Renaming the boulevard] is within the city government's authority," said Hau, the son of a general under dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
The KMT is scheduled to give its full support to Hau's plan during its Central Standing Committee this afternoon.
In another move against the central government's name-change policy, the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs yesterday tore down the banners on the walls and the canvas sheet covering the name plate of CKS Memorial Hall, sparking criticism from the ministry and pan-green city councilors over its "raid."
After fining the education ministry's "Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall" Administration NT$300,000 (US$8693) for putting up the canvas and banners, the department yesterday sent 40 workers to climb the scaffolding, removing the banners and canvas within 30 minutes.
"It's not a raid. We issued the notice to the administration for the banner's removal on Saturday and also issued fines, but the government failed to take any action. It's within our authority to take them down at any time," department director Lee Yong-ping (李永萍) said yesterday at the hall after the banners were removed.
Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝) later condemned the department for its "rude" move.
Vice Minister of Education Chou Tsan-der (周燦德), who arrived at the hall to find the banners and canvas removed, condemned the department.
"We strongly protest the department's abrupt move ? but we will abide by laws and not put the canvas back unless the council decides that they are legal," Chou said.
Chou also refused the department's request to negotiate with the ministry to open the doors of the main hall.
"Control of the doors is in our hands and we won't allow the department to open them," he said.
The ministry, after a meeting later yesterday over the matter, last night pledged to put the canvas and banners back in a legal manner.
"The city government abused its power in tearing down the banners and seizing them ? We will file lawsuits against the city government for seizing public property," Chou said.
Chou said the ministry received the city government's notice at 9:30am, but the department asked the workers to tear down the banners at 10am, making it impossible for the ministry to prevent the move.
Chou also accused the department of ignoring the safety of the workers by asking them to tear down the banners without any safety equipment.
Lee yesterday argued that the banners, which are in storage at the city hall, do not belong to the ministry.
The Cabinet changed the name of the hall to "National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall" (
In a bid to prevent the CKS Hall from being altered, the city government classified the 27-year-old memorial hall and its surrounding walls as a temporary historical site and fined the ministry starting last Saturday for damaging the hall by putting up the banners.
Protesting the city government's move, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilors yesterday tried to block the council's question-and-answer session shouting "Get out, lawless mayor!"
KMT Taipei city councilors then clashed with DPP members in an effort to support Hau before the speaker called a halt to the conflict.
Creative decision
While KMT Secretary-General Wu Den-yih (
The Presidential Office said that, by passing the motion, the Taipei City Government was only trying to divert public attention from itsq unreasonable behavior. It refused to respond further.
Taiwan Solidarity Union caucus whip Tseng Tsahn-deng (曾燦燈) said the name change fiasco only showed that it was the nation's people who suffered as a result of the constant wrangling between the DPP and the KMT.
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS