Ma showing his arrogance, analysts say

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 (馬英九) failure to consult before implementing reforms of the lower tier of local government.

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 (林正修) to step down could be heard throughout the ceremony.

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 (金恆偉) yesterday told the Taipei Times that "from the delay of the borough warden election, to the cancellation of borough wardens' benefits and now their strong discontent, it all reflected Ma's imposition of policies in a cursory and sloppy manner.

"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 (胡忠信) said yesterday that the standoff between the borough wardens and the city administration revealed a change in Ma's attitude since the Dec. 7 mayoral election.

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.