President Chen Shui-bian (
The two made the pledge despite DPP setbacks in the city mayoral and county commissioner polls two weeks ago.
The DPP, which controlled 12 districts in 1997, won just nine city and county districts this time around. The KMT, which previously controlled eight counties, was victorious in nine districts.
PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Independent candidates and the People First Party (PFP) captured two districts each, while the New Party took only Kinmen County.
Addressing a meeting of 23 newly elected city mayors and county commissioners yesterday afternoon, Chen said that he will use his power to try to strengthen the relationship between the central and local governments.
"The relationship between central and local governments is like that of partners. We should all work together to benefit democracy and the economy," Chen said. "Since previous administrations failed to do a good job in this, I don't intend to let it happen again."
Chen added that, as times change, government officials should try to adjust accordingly.
"Try to listen more, see more and think more," he said.
To listen more, Chen said, is to listen to the voices of the public and people from different political parties. To see more is to see the future of Taiwan and search for a common consensus and common interests and values, according to Chen.
And to think more, he said, is to ponder how to stabilize the political situation, spur the economy and improve cross-strait relations.
Anticipating local heads would complain about their financial plight, Chang said before the closed-door meeting that the Cabinet will adopt certain measures in a bid to help local governments cope with their fiscal woes.
"In addition to trying to find more money and allocating it more effectively, we'll launch a lobbying campaign at the legislature to release NT$19.4 billion in supplementary public-works subsidies," he said.
Local governments that owe money to the central government will also be allowed to delay their payments until after the Chinese New Year holidays, Chen said.
Meanwhile, local government chiefs across party lines expressed divided views over whether they would participate in two different blocs recently proposed by the KMT and DPP.
After nine newly elected KMT city mayors and county commissioners proposed forming an opposition alliance and inviting Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Kaohsiung County commissioner-elect Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) of the DPP said that he would like to see the formation of the competing alliance. "By meeting on a regular basis, we can not only reinforce our fellowship but also try to help learn from each other," he said.
Taichung City mayor-elect Jason Hu (
Independent Miaoli County commissioner-elect Fu Hseuh-peng (
Taitung County commissioner-elect Hsu Ching-yuan (
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
WARNING: People in coastal areas need to beware of heavy swells and strong winds, and those in mountainous areas should brace for heavy rain, the CWA said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued sea and land warnings for Typhoon Ragasa, forecasting that it would continue to intensify and affect the nation the most today and tomorrow. People in Hualien and Taitung counties, and mountainous areas in Yilan and Pingtung counties, should brace for damage caused by extremely heavy rain brought by the typhoon’s outer rim, as it was upgraded to a super typhoon yesterday morning, the CWA said. As of 5:30pm yesterday, the storm’s center was about 630km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving northwest at 21kph, and its maximum wind speed had reached
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said that it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa this morning and a land warning at night as it approached Taiwan. Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8am yesterday, the CWA said, adding that at 2pm, it was about 1,110km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip. The typhoon was moving northwest at 13kph, with sustained winds of up to 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA Web site showed. Forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said that Ragasa was projected to strengthen as it neared the Bashi Channel, with its 200km
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hualien and Taitung counties declared today a typhoon day, while schools and offices in parts of Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties are also to close Typhoon Ragasa was forecast to hit its peak strength and come closest to Taiwan from yesterday afternoon through today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Taiwan proper could be out of the typhoon’s radius by midday and the sea warning might be lifted tonight, it added. CWA senior weather specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said that Ragasa’s radius had reached the Hengchun Peninsula by 11am yesterday and was expected to hit Taitung County and Kaohsiung by yesterday evening. Ragasa was forecast to move to Taiwan’s southern offshore areas last night and to its southwestern offshore areas early today, she added. As of 8pm last night,