Tue, Dec 09, 2014 page8

• EDITORIAL: Ko needs to speak more cautiously

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  There is no doubt that independent Taipei mayor-elect Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) is a man of action, who has been eager to do something since his election on Nov. 29 and who strives to be transparent, as he promised. However, he must remember that, as mayor, every word he says could be considered a policy announcement and that if he does not speak cautiously, what he says might easily become ammunition for his political rivals.

  Ko has kept his word that he would start working the morning after being elected — in fact, he called his first meeting to discuss city governance issues the night his victory was confirmed.

  Within a little over a week after his election, Ko has met with Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), re-elected New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), Taoyuan City mayor-elect Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦), Keelung mayor-elect Lin Yu-chang (林右昌), Yilan County Commissioner Lin Tsung-hsien (林聰賢) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜). He also plans to meet with Taiwan Solidarity Union Chairman Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝), Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), as well as former presidents Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

  The meetings were held not just so Ko could greet political leaders. Instead, he has announced some policy ideas after the meetings, such as reconsidering his campaign promises to demolish an exclusive bus lane on the first day of his inauguration; constructing a new MRT line connecting Taipei and Keelung; and, most recently, building a railroad connecting Taipei and Yilan through the shortest route possible — a route that would pass through environmentally sensitive areas near the Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫) that supplies water to Taipei and New Taipei City.

  During an interview, he also said that he would like to remove some police stations.

  The above policy ideas have all triggered controversies to different degrees. When responding to the criticism, Ko stressed that those “policy ideas” were merely “ideas,” and that he would go through cautious assessments based on scientific evidence and statistics before making final decisions, adding that he would be willing to compromise if convinced by objective evidence and facts.

  Ko’s attributes — being transparent, open to discussion and willing to compromise — are positive and laudable, and those are probably the traits that attracted more than 850,000 votes in the election.

  However, Ko must note that he is no longer a simple doctor or citizen. He will soon be the leader of Taiwan’s capital and every word he speaks will have great impact. Thus, he should be more cautious and refrain from speaking at will to avoid creating controversies that could easily add fuel to the fire of criticism by his rivals.

  For instance, after being criticized for his comments on the Taipei-Yilan railway, Ko repeatedly stressed that while he believes that the railroad should take the shortest route, he would still make environmental protection the priority and would be willing to give up the route if the environmental issues it poses cannot be solved.

  As a politician, he should perhaps have emphasized more the preconditions for the project instead of stressing efficiency and time-saving, as he did in the first place.

  Taipei certainly needs a mayor of action, not a mayor of words. However, as a political leader, Ko should also make an effort to learn the art of public speaking to make his mayorship a smooth one.
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