Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday issued an ultimatum to the owners of 226 illegal rooftop additions in the city, which he said would be demolished if the owners failed to remove them by March 20.
Ko made the remarks at a press conference held after he presided over his first city administration meeting, one day after he visited the debris of an illicit rooftop addition on a four-story residential building in Nangang District (南港) that was destroyed by a fire.
The fire killed the 52-year-old tenant of the illegal construction.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
“Given that no one would want to tear down their houses during the Lunar New Year holiday in February, we decided to put off the deadline to March 20. No excuses will be accepted from those who fail to flatten their illegal structures by the deadline,” said Ko, who jokingly dubbed himself a ku li (酷吏, oppressive official) to demonstrate his determination to reshape the city.
Ko said that as most residents of illegal rooftop units are socio-economically disadvantaged, his administration would roll out supplementary measures on Jan. 10.
The Department of Social Welfare would also designate a hotline for those who require relocation assistance or have nowhere to live, Ko said.
The city government said most of the illegal rooftop additions are in Zhongshan District (中山), which has 39, followed by Xinyi District (信義) with 37 and Daan District (大安) with 29.
While Ko’s efficiency in handling the thorny issue has won over netizens, his harsh tone did not sit well with veteran Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Chin Hui-chu (秦慧珠).
“Ko should watch his mouth... Not all city councilors intervene in cases of illegal units and [his remarks] have tarnished the image of city councilors,” Chin said.
In other news, Ogilvy and Mather Greater China chief executive Shenan Chuang (莊淑芬) has declined Ko’s offer to be Taipei’s third deputy mayor.
“Thank you everyone for all your comments [on my Facebook page] and support. I also want to express my gratitude to friends who have offered me candid advice, as well as to Ko’s show of appreciation,” said Chuang, who would have been the city’s only female deputy mayor, on Facebook yesterday.
“This was a really tough decision to make. While I was inclined to take on the challenge for a moment, I realized after thorough consideration that my insufficient experience in politics and public affairs makes me unqualified for the job... But that will not alter my devotion to Taiwan,” she said.
Additional reporting by Tsai Ya-hua, Chen Ssu-hao and Tu Chu-min
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