Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday responded to criticisms by former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and former KMT Taipei mayoral candidate Sean Lien (連勝文), saying that he has much room for improvement and that he had made “quite a lot of mistakes.”
Lien gave a speech while campaigning for KMT legislative candidate Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) earlier yesterday, during which he insinuated that Ko’s performance as Taipei mayor was less than optimal.
“Vote for someone with decency and integrity instead of someone you will regret voting for half a year later,” Lien said.
PHOTO: Kuo Yen-hui, Taipei Times
Citing a Chinese idiom, Lien said that it would be difficult for him to stop “jabbing” Ko’s performance once he started.
When asked about his response to Lien’s apparent criticism, Ko said: “It is not a big deal. There is no need to interpret [Lien’s remarks] with malice... It is true that I have made quite a lot of mistakes.”
Ko also commented on a remark by Lee, where Lee said Ko’s experience as a doctor is the reason “why he lacks foresight” particularly with regard to urban renewal policies that his administration has formulated for Shezidao, saying that: “His criticism is actually quite earnest.”
“Looking back on the first year of my term, our work has been largely confined to tying up loose ends. We have not yet resolved problems surrounding the MeHAS City project and the Taipei Dome,” Ko added.
Referring to the MeHAS City housing complex, Ko said the Ministry of Justice on Friday informed the city that it could face compensations totaling more than NT$7 billion (US$213.27 million) as a result of a lawsuit the landowners filed against the city government and that he had grave concerns about how to source the money.
When asked why he had suddenly become humble, Ko said: “I have always been humble.”
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