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Hsieh taking the heat for changing tune at city council
POLITICAL SPARRING:
The Kaohsiung City mayor came under fire after the city council speaker showed video footage of Hsieh approving of city council prerogatives -- just before the mayor came out against its decision-making process
STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, May 07, 2002, Page 4
Huang Chi-chuan (¶À±Ò¤t), speaker of the Kaohsiung City Council, yesterday released video footage of the council floor recorded May 3 to prove that Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (Áªø§Ê) had promised to respect a council decision on the city government's departmental structure.
"The mayor has forsaken a statement he himself made on the council floor," said Huang yesterday in response to Hsieh's criticism of a process the council used to decide to dissolve the city government's Office of Information.
Last Friday, the Kaohsiung City Council passed a law to dissolve the city government's Office of Information, which Hsieh later criticized by saying that the process was being carried out "in haste and in disrespect of city officials."
Led by a number of DPP city councilor-hopefuls vying for seats in the year-end city councilor elections, a crowd protested in front of the Kaohsiung City Council yesterday to show support for Qen Pei-ling (ºÞºÑ¬Â), head of the Office of Information and spokeswoman for the Kaohsiung City Government.
In response, Huang later held his own press conference and released the video footage recorded last Friday on the council floor which carried remarks made by Hsieh in response to a question asked by PFP City Councilor Yang Se-yu (·¨¦â¥É).
"The city council represents the people," the footage showed Hsieh as saying. "The city council can decide whether to add or to dissolve departments within the city government structure. ... I respect your view."
Huang said that the council had allowed ample time for the city government to explain its position on the council floor last Friday, well before votes were taken; and after the second reading was passed, he even ordered an extension of council time to discuss related issues and supplementary measures.
"I don't understand why [Hsieh] is so inconsistent with his attitude," Huang said.
Huang stressed that the city government and the city council ought to respect each other, "and not politicize issues and do harm to the city council's image."
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