Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday issued an ultimatum to the owners of 226 illegal rooftop additions in the city, which he said would be demolished if the owners failed to remove them by March 20.
Ko made the remarks at a press conference held after he presided over his first city administration meeting, one day after he visited the debris of an illicit rooftop addition on a four-story residential building in Nangang District (南港) that was destroyed by a fire.
The fire killed the 52-year-old tenant of the illegal construction.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
“Given that no one would want to tear down their houses during the Lunar New Year holiday in February, we decided to put off the deadline to March 20. No excuses will be accepted from those who fail to flatten their illegal structures by the deadline,” said Ko, who jokingly dubbed himself a ku li (酷吏, oppressive official) to demonstrate his determination to reshape the city.
Ko said that as most residents of illegal rooftop units are socio-economically disadvantaged, his administration would roll out supplementary measures on Jan. 10.
The Department of Social Welfare would also designate a hotline for those who require relocation assistance or have nowhere to live, Ko said.
The city government said most of the illegal rooftop additions are in Zhongshan District (中山), which has 39, followed by Xinyi District (信義) with 37 and Daan District (大安) with 29.
While Ko’s efficiency in handling the thorny issue has won over netizens, his harsh tone did not sit well with veteran Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Chin Hui-chu (秦慧珠).
“Ko should watch his mouth... Not all city councilors intervene in cases of illegal units and [his remarks] have tarnished the image of city councilors,” Chin said.
In other news, Ogilvy and Mather Greater China chief executive Shenan Chuang (莊淑芬) has declined Ko’s offer to be Taipei’s third deputy mayor.
“Thank you everyone for all your comments [on my Facebook page] and support. I also want to express my gratitude to friends who have offered me candid advice, as well as to Ko’s show of appreciation,” said Chuang, who would have been the city’s only female deputy mayor, on Facebook yesterday.
“This was a really tough decision to make. While I was inclined to take on the challenge for a moment, I realized after thorough consideration that my insufficient experience in politics and public affairs makes me unqualified for the job... But that will not alter my devotion to Taiwan,” she said.
Additional reporting by Tsai Ya-hua, Chen Ssu-hao and Tu Chu-min
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all