The vocal protests last Thursday by Taipei City borough wardens have revealed the city's Bureau of Civil Affairs and Mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (
The borough wardens, who voiced their fury during a ceremony last Thursday to give them certificates marking the start of their terms, highlighted the dissatisfaction between the two groups of public officials.
Calls for bureau director Lin Cheng-hsiu (
What were the reasons for such anger?
The borough wardens said there are three reasons for their strong opposition. They say the city government never appropriately consulted them about the reform scheme, which includes canceling the borough wardens' right to appoint their own neighborhood chiefs. The reform plan also changes their budget appropriation and cancels their annual NT$45,000 holiday bonuses.
indignation
The borough wardens' indignation started last April, when the Taipei City Government decided unilaterally to rezone the city's boroughs from 435 boroughs to 449, which led to the postponement of the borough-warden elections from June 8 last year to Jan. 8 this year.
Critics charge that Ma used the rezoning project in order to justify postponing the borough warden election and further his chances in last December's mayoral race.
The borough wardens, who face a series of benefit cuts and a reduction of their power, branded the city government's reform drive a "brutal act" implemented without proper consultation.
The city government's announcement on the eve of the borough warden election to cancel the wardens' holiday bonuses -- which came after Ma had been elected -- prompted charges the mayor was being ungrateful.
Editor-in-chief of Contemporary Monthly magazine Chin Heng-wei (
"From the beginning to the end, Ma just wanted the borough warden election to be postponed. That was his sole goal. The rezoning of the boroughs and the current reform measures for the borough chiefs are just excuses," Chin said.
"He just wants to serve his end of securing votes in the mayoral election by securing relations with the old borough wardens who served as his `vote captains,'" Chin said.
"It's obvious that he put the reform into practice without appropriate planning," he said.
Chin said that Ma could face impeachment from the Control Yuan, since the Executive Yuan had requested that the watchdog agency investigate the legitimacy of the delayed Taipei borough warden election.
"The borough warden's dissatisfaction over the reform would be important testimony for the Control Yuan and that would have a great impact on Ma's ambition for the future presidential election," Chin said.
Political commentator Hu Chung-hsin (
less humble
"Ma avoided the thorny issue of cutting the holiday bonuses before his election, but he announced the cancellation of the benefit for borough wardens immediately after he got elected. He was humble at first, but turned proud afterward," Hu said.
"The tension that now exists between the city government and borough wardens also shows Ma and his administration's inability to tackle a crisis and Ma's failure to think through implementation of his policy," Hu said.
Taipei City councilors from across party lines also voiced their disagreement over the reforms .
DPP city council caucus convener Lee Chien-chang (李建昌) said the city government had neglected the opinions of borough wardens and made the policy unilaterally.
"It further highlighted Ma's arrogance ... since winning a landslide victory in the mayoral election," Lee said.
"We will ask Ma to make a special report to the city council after the [Lunar] New Year," the city councilor said.
In addition, KMT city councilors Chen Chin-hsiang (
Under the reform plan, borough wardens, who used to have sole authority to appoint their neighborhood chiefs, may now only issue recommendations for the appointment. The final decision on the neighborhood chiefs will lie with district chiefs, who are appointed by the mayor.
The appointed neighborhood chiefs would have to include directors of local community management boards, which take care of apartment blocks.
The Bureau of Civil Affairs also plans to cut the monthly NT$2,000 transport allowance for neighborhood chiefs, awarding half the amount to the borough wardens.
The borough wardens said that the change will create tension between them and the neighborhood chiefs, who they say will feel that the borough wardens have deprived them of half of a subsidy to which they consider themselves entitled.
The wardens complained that the plan has effectively smeared them and diminished their status.
Borough wardens receive a monthly allowance of NT$45,000 for stationery, postal, electric and water bills and an annual NT$200,000 for local construction expenses. They also receive payments for local construction works or public facilities deemed to have reduced the quality of life in their communities.
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