Lee says politics muddying flood debate

Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday said that political arguments have hurt the cause of limiting flood damage, stressing that improving the city's drainage system is more important than increasing the central government's flood-prevent budget.

Lee suggested Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has used the issue of flood-control along the Keelung River as an excuse to exact money from the government.

"The problem of flooding along the Keelung River cannot be solved if the issue continues to be politicized," Lee told a roomful of TSU candidates for city council.

Lee, a former Taipei City mayor, said that flood-prevention projects in Taipei City should protect the city from flooding for 200 years, while those in Taipei County should protect it for only 20 years.

The reason why Taipei City suffered from serious flooding last year after Typhoon Nari hit while Taipei County remained unscathed was because of the poor management of the city's drainage system, according to Lee.

"The drainage channel was not built properly, the water pumping stations are not located at the right spots and the pumps did not work properly," he said.

He said the politicization of the issue indicates that the so-called "pan-blue" camp was unwilling to acknowledge that the regime is governed by Taiwanese.

Lee's comments yesterday were viewed as another attack on Ma, running for re-election under the KMT banner, and a show of support for the DPP.

Ma asked for NT$1.98 billion from the central government, which he insisted was necessary to prevent tributaries of the Keelung River from endangering his constituency. But the legislature turned down the request yesterday.

The TSU yesterday held a one-day seminar for city council candidates running for the party in the year-end election.

The former president, who they regard as their spiritual leader, as well as political commentators Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒) and Lee Min-yung (李敏勇), were invited to give lectures.

The former president stressed the significance of establishing Taiwan's identity and condemned the KMT politicians who have colluded with the Chinese, saying they have lost their recognition of Taiwan.

He stated that it was incomprehensible why these politicians rush to shake hands with China now, whereas in the past they were considered extreme anti-communists.

Lee raised the concept "New Taiwanese," which he introduced years ago. He said whoever recognizes Taiwan and is willing to fight for Taiwan's future should be considered "New Taiwanese."