Lawmakers yesterday failed to reach a consensus on expanding redevelopment of military dependents’ villages, with opponents saying the plan would use taxpayer money to enrich certain people.
Cross-party caucus deliberations on the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-proposed amendment to Article 3 of the Act for Rebuilding Old Quarters for Military Dependents (國軍老舊眷村改建條例) failed to gain traction and would be further discussed during the full sitting of the Legislative Yuan, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) said.
On Dec. 31 last year, KMT legislators Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) and Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) put forth proposals to amend the act.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
The act defines “military dependents’ villages” as buildings built before 1980.
Lo said that the act’s classification is outdated and should be revised to “dependents’ buildings completed before the act took effect and having an urgent need for renovations.”
Ma’s version states that all dependents’ villages in need of renovation, regardless of when they were constructed, should be financed by the state.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus criticized Ma’s version as writing a blank check for state funding for dependents’ village reconstruction.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said that Lo’s proposal would serve those seeking illegal profits.
The verdict of an administrative lawsuit involving Tsu Ren Eighth Village (慈仁八村) in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) said that the village was not considered a dependents’ village and should not be eligible for a rebuilding project, he said.
Lo’s proposed amendment would qualify the village for rebuilding and benefit its residents unfairly, Ker said.
The Economic Democracy Union civic group panned Lo’s proposal, saying it would allow prime real-estate owners to become richer.
Eight communities in Lo’s precinct would meet the requirements, about 11.5 percent of all eligible communities, and see the reconstruction funded by the state, it said.
However, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉), who attended the cross-caucus discussion, said the amendment would only affect the residents of the Tsu Ren Eighth Village.
The union later issued a separate statement saying that Lo’s proposal did not even mention Tsu Ren Eighth Village and should have been clearer.
Lo said that the amendments he proposed would only affect the residents of the Tsu Ren Eighth Village, or about 50 families, and allow them to move into the Wanlong New Community built 15 years ago specifically to house the residents of 27 dependents’ villages.
However, Army Command Headquarters Political Warfare Department head Major General Shih Shun-wen (史順文) said at the meeting that the amendment should not be passed, as the Supreme Administrative Court upheld the original ruling in 2015 regarding Tsu Ren Eighth Village.
Current regulations should be observed for the sake of legal stability, as well as the fairness and equality of dependents’ village reconstruction projects, Shih added.
Additional reporting by CNA
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