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Ma's council report blocked by shoving,hair-pulling match

Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was forced to cancel his municipal report to the Taipei City Council yesterday as pan-blue and pan-green city councilors held a shouting and shoving match over the subject of the report.

Voicing their dissatisfaction with the Taipei City Department of Rapid Transit System (DORTS) for providing an "unprofessional report," whose content did not touch on the proposed topic of the reason behind the delay in the construction of the Neihu mass rapid transit (MRT) line, several councilors from both camps accused the department of a coverup and choosing to report positive news only.

"The report should explain the reason for the continuous delay in the Neihu MRT line's construction. But it mentioned nothing [about the problem] and only bragged about the progress of the MRT lines," Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Lee Ching-yuan (李慶元) said.

"The department is clearly trying to pander to Ma with the report," Lee said.

Lee and several Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) councilors further questioned other councilors, who then agreed to change the subject of the report from the delay in the Neihu MRT line's construction to current development and future plans for all MRT construction projects after a cross-party negotiation on the subject.

However, upset by accusations that they were trying "to protect the DORTS and the construction company" by allowing the department to change the subject of the report, KMT Councilor Yang Shih-chiu (楊實秋) jumped on a table and engaged in a shoving match with DPP councilors Lee Chien-chang (李建昌) and Chou Wei-you (周威佑).

Yang's wig was ripped off during the fight.

KMT Councilor Chin Li-fang (秦麗舫), who also joined the negotiation, demanded that Lee apologize for the accusation.

"We already agreed on the topic during the negotiation. You didn't come to the meeting, [so] you don't have a say. You can't accuse others of shielding the company or the department just because your opinion is different from the others," she said, in tears.

Chou added that the participants at the negotiation agreed to change the topic because of some councilors' concern about the progress at other MRT lines. Chou said that the final report did not include any information other than to promote the department's efforts.

Council Speaker Wu Bi-chu (吳碧珠) ordered two breaks and tried to give Ma a chance to deliver the report.

DPP councilors blocked the podium as councilors from both camps refused to accept the report until the department of-ered a detailed and "professional" report.

Wu finally announced that the meeting was dismissed.

The council will decide whether Ma will need to report on the same issue during an ad hoc meeting on July 24.
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