Election winners attack predecessors for financial woes

Newly elected mayors and commissioners are worried they'll be taking over governments saddled with high debt, making their duties difficult to carry out in their first term of office.

The winners of this month's local elections will take office on Dec. 20. Some say they plan to send in auditors to comb over the books before taking up their posts.

"Changhua County's obligations have increased to NT$122 billion in the past year, and three months ago it owed NT$22 billion," said the DPP's Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠), who will take over as Changhua's commissioner. "These obligations are not only a burden on the local government but on all the residents of this county."

Nantou County's commissioner-elect, the DPP's Lin Tsueng-nan (林宗男), is facing a bigger problem.

Since the 921 earthquake, the incumbent commissioner Peng Pai-hsien (彭百顯) has come under repeated attack for allegedly mishandling billions of dollars in reconstruction funds.

"I will take the post after everything is audited," Lin said.

In Taichung City, KMT mayor-elect Jason Hu (胡志強) is blaming the city's financial problems on his predecessor, Chang Wen-ying (張溫鷹).

Meanwhile, Chiayi County commissioner-elect Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) is also blaming the outgoing commissioner, Lee Ya-ching (李雅景).

Chen is taking issue with Lee's replacement of personnel from the county's culture foundation, which receives funds from the government. Chen said he would be following the case very carefully.

To deal with the financial troubles, Wong said she would cooperate with any of the other commissioners and mayors and fight for help from the central government.

Wong said she had talked to Lin Chuang (林全), director of the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics.

"He has promised to help us before the subsidies for local governments are released next May," Wong said.