Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday promised to review the decision-making process for the city’s problematic Wenshan-Neihu MRT Line, but stopped short of discussing the responsibility of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) — as the city’s former mayor — in the design and construction of the project.
Following the Control Yuan’s censure of Taipei City Government on Wednesday for its construction of the problem-ridden line, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City councilors yesterday urged Hau to hold government officials who were involved in the decision-making process for the line — including Ma — to account.
The Control Yuan blamed the city government for lowering the standards to allow Bombardier to qualify as a bidder and rushing to open the line after only 13 weeks of trials. It demanded that the city government look into the responsibility of those involved in the design and construction of the line.
DPP Taipei City councilors Yen Sheng-kuan (顏聖冠), Lee Wen-ying (李文英) and Chou Po-ya (周柏雅) said Ma should take full responsibility for approving changes to the line from a high-capacity transport system to a medium one and awarding the project to Bombardier.
“Most of the decisions were made under Ma’s administration [as city mayor]. Do you [Mayor Hau] dare hold Ma accountable?” Lee asked during a question-and-answer session at the Taipei City Council.
Chou and Yen also challenged the Control Yuan’s decision to clear Ma of any administrative wrongdoing in the design and construction of the project, while asking Hau to compile a list of people who should be punished within one month.
Hau yesterday apologized again for any inconvenience caused by the frequent malfunctions of the line, but declined to discuss whether Ma or other officials should take responsibility.
“We respect the Control Yuan’s decision and we will hold officials who were responsible for the project accountable,” he said.
Hau said the city government had yet to receiv a formal letter from the Control Yuan on its decision and refused to comment when asked if he would present a list within a month.
The Control Yuan did not summon Ma for questioning on the issue, but instead had a “meeting over tea” with him in late January.
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