Hsinchu Mayor Lin Chih-chien (林智堅) on Monday said that he would not seek election as mayor of the proposed special municipality of Hsinchu in a move that bolstered the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) bid to redraw the nation’s administrative map.
Lin wrote on Facebook that he had made the decision “to stop the political machinations of the opposition parties, and refocus the debate surrounding the upgrade to ‘Greater Hsinchu’ on the nation’s strategic development and the efficiency of governance.”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has opposed the DPP’s plan to merge Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County into a special municipality, citing concerns that the scheme was calculated to personally benefit Lin.
Photo: CNA
“I fear that my personal political interests are getting in the way of the city’s development ... by renouncing my intention to run in 2022, I call on the opposition parties to heed the voices of Hsinchu residents,” Lin wrote.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) expressed their support for Lin’s decision to drop out of the nine-in-one elections next year, he added.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) yesterday said that Lin’s decision has long been in the making.
The proposed amendments to the Local Government Act (地方制度法) — which are necessary to complete the merger — should proceed without hindrance now that Lin has proved that the proposal was not to advance private interests, Ker said.
The DPP caucus had anticipated the opposition’s tactics when planning the merger, Ker added.
“The question before the KMT is, what excuse does it have left to delay amending the act?” he said.
In response, New Power Party Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智), who is reportedly mulling running for mayor of the proposed special municipality, accused Ker of politicking.
Ker should understand that Lin’s call to refocus the discussion on what is good for the region and the nation also applies to the DPP, Chiu said.
“There is no reason that the redrawing of county and city boundaries should coincide with an election,” he said, adding that the Executive Yuan should take responsibility by exerting its leadership when proposing bills.
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