Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien (王建煊) came under fire from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday, who called for him to step down following his reported plan to open the hall inside the Control Yuan building, a post-Renaissance brick-and-stone edifice, to the public for weddings.
According to reports by the Chinese-language Liberty Times, (the Taipei Times’ sister paper), and the Central News Agency (CNA), Wang told a group of selected media outlets’ representatives over lunch on Thursday that he planned to draw up rules for renting the hall out for weddings.
“We are going to propose rules for renting the hall of the Control Yuan and preach the idea of keeping weddings as simple as possible,” the Liberty Times and CNA quoted Wang as saying.
Wang invited reporters from the Chinese-language China Times, Want Daily, United Daily News, United Evening News and CNA to the lunch, while leaving out the Liberty Times and Apple Daily.
The Apple Daily reported on Nov. 3 that Wang, a devout Christian, conducted the marriage of a couple in the hall during work hours on Oct. 7, with some Control Yuan staff asked to help prepare the venue for the wedding, which was attended by 40 to 50 people who have business operations in China.
On Wednesday, the Liberty Times reported that the Control Yuan’s Secretariat on Oct. 6 received an order directly from Wang’s office to help decorate the hall for the wedding and that the group were friends of Wang and sponsors of a non-profit foundation established by Wang.
The paper said about five or six staff from the secretariat started to prepare the hall the day the order was issued and that both Control Yuan Secretary-General Chen Feng-yi (陳豐義) and Secretariat Director Huang Kun-cheng (黃坤成) were also at the hall taking care of preparations.
However, Control Yuan Deputy Secretary-General Chen Chi-hsiung (陳吉雄) yesterday denied that the hall would be opened for weddings. He said he was not at the lunch on Thursday and he did not receive instructions from Wang to draw up the rules.
Wang issued a statement on Wednesday, denying accusations that he abused public resources for personal purposes, saying that he married the couple “for love.”
Wang said the wedding and an incident last month in which the Control Yuan reminded the DPP that receiving donations from children was not legally permitted were both “good deeds,” but that they were distorted.
“Why is it so difficult to be kind in Taiwan?” Wang said in the statement.
The DPP on Wednesday filed a lawsuit with Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office against Wang, demanding an investigation into his alleged abuse of public resources.
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