Since Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) became mayor of Kaohsiung on Dec. 25 last year, there has been never-ending controversy. He announced his presidential bid within six months after taking office, setting off a wave of dissatisfaction among city residents and civic organizations. A signature drive to recall Han initiated by Citizens Mowing Action and We Care Kaohsiung is likely to reach 200,000 signatures.
Han won the election in November last year by calling himself a “novice,” but less than eight months later, every opinion poll consistently shows that 40 to 50 percent of respondents are “dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with his performance.
Han was expected to start reflecting on his policies and work with the city government to try to improve Kaohsiung, but instead declared that as president he would be even better placed to care for the city and grandiloquently announced his presidential bid.
This attracted even more discontent among residents and some students even availed themselves of the opportunity to express their dissatisfaction when receiving awards from the mayor.
Han’s administration has also used its powers to suppress civic activities, on four different occasions rejecting applications from Citizens Mowing Action for land-use rights, exposing its antidemocratic and overbearing attitude.
Here is a brief explanation of the reasons behind the recall:
First, intentional and malicious absence. Less than six months into his term as mayor, Han was already daydreaming about the presidency. Despite constant sophistry and attempts to rationalize his ambitions, he deceived Kaohsiung residents about the reasons for his presidential bid.
Throughout Taiwan’s electoral history, he is the only one who has begun running for president a mere six months into a mayoral term.
A popularly elected leader enters into a contract with voters, in particular during their first term in office; it is a breach of good faith to keep flip-flopping and casting covetous eyes at other positions.
It is not very strange, then, that Han’s presidential bid has also roused discontent among pan-blue voters. This is why the recall movement started surging as soon as civic organizations got it off the ground.
Second is his bizarre and impractical campaign promises, which have not come to fruition, as well as his constant gaffes and missteps.
Han regaled the Kaohsiung electorate with the slogan “goods flow out, people flow in and Kaohsiung becomes rich,” which swept him all the way to city hall. Of course, Kaohsiung has not become rich and the local economy has not suddenly transformed.
Neither have his other promises come to fruition, such as drilling for oil on Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島), building a Ferris wheel by the Love River (愛河), having G.E.M. singer Gloria Tang (鄧紫棋) act as Kaohsiung’s tourism ambassador, inviting US action star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to deliver a speech, having Japan’s Waseda University establish a campus in the city or introducing Formula One racing to Kaohsiung.
During his visit to Hong Kong, Han even visited the Chinese Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong and Macau, the authority charged with managing the “one country, two systems” model in the two territories.
The move was roundly criticized by Hong Kongers, who said it was essentially an endorsement of the “one country, two systems” model.
In a meeting with Macau Chief Executive Fernando Chui (崔世安), Han even said: “I could be elected Macau chief executive, too,” as if there were some equivalence between being the leader of Hong Kong or Macau and Kaohsiung mayor.
This was not merely a slip of the tongue — it was disqualifying.
Third is Han’s ineffectual record in office, during which time he has excelled in absence and incompetence.
Han has been mayor for seven months, during which time he has taken off 24 days and six hours for trips overseas, vacation and sick leave. If he commits time to his presidential campaign, he could very well take 72 days off. How could people vote for someone who has proven himself so utterly uninterested in governance?
During question-and-answer sessions in the Kaohsiung City Council, Han has failed to answer questions, strayed from the topic or been unsure of what was being discussed, just responding that he wants Kaohsiung to be rich.
Beyond that, he simply defers to the head of the relevant department, to the point that he has been given the nickname “the Han switchboard.”
Now that Kaohsiung is in the middle of an outbreak of dengue fever with 47 confirmed cases so far, Han appears to think it sufficient to climb a tree and have a photo op or to pass the buck to the central government.
He has amply demonstrated that he lacks the chops to deal with a public health issue and is unqualified to be at the helm of any government.
These are just some of the more glaring examples of why people are fed up with Han’s broken promises, absences and gaffes, and why so many have signed the recall action.
With groups opposed to Han pooling their resources, they are sure to secure the first recall of a mayor in Taiwan. We will just have to wait and see what happens next.
Dong Gow-ming is an associate professor in Shu-Te University’s information management department.
Translated by Perry Svensson and Paul Cooper
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