Opposition legislators yesterday pressed charges with the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office against Kuo Yao-chi (郭瑤琪), executive director of the Cabinet's 921 Earth-quake Reconstruction Commission, for ordering the demolition of temporary housing units for earthquake victims.
In addition, the legislators asked the Control Yuan to impeach Kuo and her predecessor, Huang Jong-tsun (黃榮村), for the commission's inefficiency in implementing post-earthquake reconstruction work.
The legislators, who included the PFP's Kao Ming-chien (高明見) and Li Yong-ping (李永萍) and independent Sisy Chen (陳文茜), are all members of a legislative panel monitoring the government's post-earthquake reconstruction efforts.
According to the legislators, the commission served an order in July to township offices in the areas affected by the quake to press the residents of prefabricated housing units to move out, in what they said was an attempt to demonstrate the government's reconstruction efforts.
"The residents are very worried about this situation," Kao said.
Citing resident complaints, the legislators said that township offices coerced the people to sign an agreement, which stipulates that the residents will leave by October, by threatening to cut off their power and water supplies.
Six prefabricated housing units have already been demolished, the legislators said.
The government has re-neged on its promise to relocate residents before demolishing the prefabricated housing units -- a practice which runs counter to the Temporary Statute for Post-Earthquake Reconstruction (
The statue states that temporary housing will be allowed to stand for three years, with a possible one-year extension, and the government cannot compel the demolition of the housing within this period unless it has obtained permission from the residents.
The government has made little progress in its recovery efforts in the disaster areas, the legislators said.
According to an investigative report released by the legislative panel, the 921 Earthquake Reconstruction Commission has implemented less than one percent of its budget for the development of new communities as of last month.
Premier Yu Shyi-kun heard similar complaints yesterday from residents when he made a trip to Taichung County to inspect the prefabricated housing units there.
Yu promised the government will continue its reconstruction efforts until all the earthquake victims are properly relocated.
Yu said the government will offer full assistance to relocate the victims and will extend the duration of the temporary housing for one year if necessary.
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