Before finding himself enmeshed in the controversy surrounding the usage of the mayoral special allowance fund, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
But with his reputation for morality and integrity now seriously damaged by the scandal, Ma's political future appears gloomy, to say the least. Still, the incident provides a good opportunity to re-examine the country's unrealistic quest for a morally flawless leader and the systemic flaws in public administration, analysts said.
"From the perspective of governmental systems, deviant behavior may help clarify obscure regulations. This scandal has highlighted the flaws in the special allowance mechanism and our auditing system," said Ku Chung-hwa (
According to public regulations, 6,500 local chiefs are entitled to a monthly special allowance fund, with the amount allocated depending on the rank and position of the official. Half of the special allowance is disbursed with no receipts required, while the other half require the presentation of receipts for reimbursement.
While some chiefs opt to cash out the portion that requires no receipts, Ma has the money wired directly into his account -- the total of which which he included when he declared his assets.
Confronted by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators' accusation that he had pocketed the money, Ma argued that government regulations allow local chiefs to deposit the money into an account designated by the official and that local chiefs have to include all assets when they declare their public finances, regardless of where the money came from.
When prosecutors started reinvestigating Ma's use of the fund, his staffer, Yu Wen (
Facing serious questions about his integrity, Ma, who doubles as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman, had maintained his innocence and promised to quit as chairman if he were ever indicted.
"Although I knew nothing about it and so far there is no evidence to prove [my staffer] pocketed the money, I still need to take responsibility for this blemish ... I offer my sincere apologies to Taipei residents," Ma told a press conference on Thursday at Taipei City Hall.
But the DPP, which has attacked Ma's problematic handling of the fund since July, continued to question Ma's integrity.
Although Ma claimed there were no irregularities in the handling of the fund, a city government team had conducted an investigation and concluded in a report on Nov. 3 that the fund had been maladministered. However, the city government did not make the findings of its investigation public until Tuesday.
While current regulations grant local chiefs the right to use the special allowance at their discretion, Ku said that Ma's emphasis on maintaining high moral standards has resulted in the current impasse.
"Moralization of politics is unnecessary. No politician is flawless if placed under a microscope ... Ma Ying-jeou's high moral standard is a trap and now he's walked into it himself," Ku said.
"What we should look for in politicians is not only his moral stance, but also their political platform, leadership and ability in handling public affairs," Ku added.
Agreeing that Ma's image of morality has become a baggage for him amid the scandal, Chao Yung-mau (趙永茂), a political science professor at National Taiwan University, said that the mayor and his city government "has set a very bad example" by failing to keep the special allowance account transparent.
"Before the system is changed, local governments have to follow the rules, especially Taipei, as the country's capital, needs to set a good example," Chao said.
Shih Cheng-feng (施正鋒), a professor at Tamkang University's public administration department, condemned the Ministry of Audit for favoring Ma by "using a microscope in examining the Presidential Office and reading glasses in examining the Taipei City Government."
"Allowing officials to use the special fund at their discretion has made it open to abuse. This scandal has allowed the public to see that Ma Ying-jeou is no different from other politicians," Shih said.
Although criticisms and accusations continue to challenge Ma and his political prospects look gloomy, analysts said that Ma might still be the KMT's only choice in the 2008 presidential election.
"Many people, including some KMT members and supporters, could be dissatisfied with Ma now, but they may have no choice but to support him in 2008," Ku said.
In response to some KMT legislators' suggestion that instead of Ma, former chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) should pair up and represent the KMT in the 2008 race, both Chao and Shih saw little chance of such a combination.
"The scandal has affected Ma's chance in the 2008 presidential election ... But Lien had already lost in two elections ... and I don't think Wang's integrity will be able to sustain an examination," Shih said.
While the scandal once again revealed Ma's incompetence and the city government's inept crisis management, Shih said Ma could still repair his stained reputation by offering a formal apology and explaining more clearly what went wrong in the city government's handling of the allowance.
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