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Annette Lu calls for replacing system of counties and cities

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday recommended that Taiwan's system of counties and cities be replaced by four provinces, two special administrative regions and two districts.

Lu said the proposal was neither a new idea nor part of her presidential bid, but the conclusion of a series of hearings on homeland security from July to September 2004 when she chaired the now disbanded technology and human rights advisory committees at the Presidential Office.

The result was endorsed by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and sent to the Executive Yuan for reference, Lu said.

According to Lu's proposal, the three-tier system of government would remain.

"Taiwan Province" would be mostly replaced by four provinces -- Taipei Province, Taichung Province, Tainan Province and Taitung Province, each of which would cover several present-day counties.

With 43 percent of Taiwan's terrain being mountainous, Lu backed establishing a special administrative region for mountain areas. Outlying islands, she said, also have unique development problems and it is necessary to set up an special administrative region.

As for the special municipalities of Taipei City and Kaohsiung City, Lu proposed merging Taipei City and Taipei County into a District of Taipei, and Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County into a District of Kaohsiung.

In response to a push by some Democratic Progressive Party legislators to relocate the capital to the south, Lu said she respected different opinions but that any change had to be in accordance with the law and take of political considerations into account.

A capital had to meet certain requirements, Lu said, including easy access to an international airport and a safe distance from geological fault lines.

While Chen has recommended upgrading the status of Taichung City, Lu said she had been opposed the idea since the party discussed the issue in the run-up to the 2004 presidential election.
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