Mayor sets goal for Taipei to overtake Singapore within 8 years

By Kua Yu-Lin, The Straits Times, 2 Dec 2014

NEWLY ELECTED Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je has set a goal for the capital city: to overtake Singapore within eight years.

Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan and Keelung are roughly equal to the "national strength" of Singapore and, if these four cities work together, they could surpass Singapore, Dr Ko said in an interview with Taiwan's United Daily News published on Sunday.

The 55-year-old doctor, who ran as an independent candidate, defeated ruling Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Sean Lien, 44, in last Saturday's local elections.

Dr Ko, in a separate interview with Liberty Times yesterday, said his first priority after taking office on Dec 25 is to change the bureaucratic culture in the city government and to roll out a 2050 Taipei City plan.

Asked how he intends to help Taipei overtake Singapore, Dr Ko said there are "indicators" to refer to in terms of what policies or inventions are needed in the competition among cities.

He also said Taipei's education system, standard of living and social welfare system will be different in the future.

He told The Straits Times in an interview last Friday that Singapore "is a very good model for Taiwan, especially given the similarities in our cultures".

"The area I hope we can learn most from Singapore is in the productivity and efficiency of its public servants," he said.

He said he hopes to lead a delegation to Singapore to have a deeper understanding of how this is achieved.

5 things to know about new Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je

By Li Xueying, Regional Correspondent In Hong Kong, The Straits Times, 1 Dec 2014

HE was a high-flying surgeon who established Taiwan's standard procedures for organ transplant. Now Dr Ko Wen-je, 55, is making headlines in the political field after winning the key Taipei mayoral race on Nov 29 even though he is a political novice.

The Taipei mayorship is a crucial step for Taiwan's presidents-in-waiting, with every leader in the past quarter century since Taiwan democratised - Mr Ma Ying-jeou, Mr Chen Shui-bian and Mr Lee Teng-hui - having served as the capital's mayor.

Here are five things to know about Dr Ko:

1. The father of three graduated from the department of medicine at National Taiwan University (NTU) in 1986 and became an emergency room doctor focusing on trauma treatment. He founded NTU's first organ transplant team and established standards for organ transplant procedures later used throughout Taiwan.

2. In 2006, he made headlines when he used groundbreaking research to save the life of the wife of outgoing Taichung mayor Jason Hu - he lost his bid in the local election - who had fallen into a coma after a car accident. In 2010, he directed the emergency care team that treated Mr Sean Lien for critical wounds after he was shot in the head. Mr Lien, son of former premier Lien Chan, lost to Dr Ko in the Taipei mayoral race.

3. Dr Ko resigned as head of the organ transplant task force at NTU in 2011 after the hospital became embroiled in a scandal when HIV-infected organs were transplanted into five patients. The incident happened after a staff member misheard the donor's test results over the phone. Dr Ko, the only person punished in the case, said he was never given a chance to defend himself. The incident was described as a turning point that propelled his participation in politics against the "unfair" authorities.

4. He has no political experience but has gained popularity for his relatively down-to-earth public image. He comes from a lineage of middle-class public servants - his father was an elementary school teacher, while his grandfather was a school supervisor and then principal. The latter was arrested by the KMT-led Republic of China government in 1947, and was tortured and beaten badly for a month. He died in 1950.

5. Dr Ko ran in the election as an independent candidate, though he has been a long-time supporter of the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Chen Shui-bian, a former Taiwan president. He has said he will not join any political party after being elected and intends to prohibit his top employees from engaging in political party activities while seeking the "widest public consensus" on policy-making.

Ma to resign as ruling KMT party's chairman
By Li Xueying and Pearl Liu, The Straits Times, 3 Dec 2014

TAIWANESE President Ma Ying- jeou will step down as Kuomintang (KMT) chairman today, in a move that he said will mark "a new beginning" for the 120-year-old ruling party, which was thoroughly trounced in last Saturday's local elections.

Reforms are needed urgently, he admitted.

One urgent priority, said Mr Ma's potential successor, New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu, is to attract young Taiwanese and convince them that the KMT is the party of choice in the 21st century.

Another is to prevent the "destruction" of Taiwan's two-party system, given widespread disenchantment with partisan politics, Mr Chu, 53, said yesterday.

He has been touted as a possible future presidential candidate.

But analysts were far less optimistic about the prospects for reform, saying that Mr Ma's resignation will herald an era of infighting instead, as aspirants jostle for the top post.

This, they said, will worsen the party's already dismal prospects in the 2016 presidential election.

Besides Mr Chu, other possible contenders include outgoing Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin and defeated Taichung Mayor Jason Hu.

Mr Ma announced during a meeting of top KMT officials yesterday that he will resign at today's caucus of the party standing committee.

The 64-year-old, who has led the party for nine years, said he had sought to reform the KMT.

"But, we have to admit, the expectations that people have of KMT have changed faster than the pace of the reforms.

"I am ashamed, given the disappointment of the people."

The KMT was routed in the polls, losing five out of six mayoral races in key cities, while the opposition Democratic Progressive Party and candidates aligned with it won, for the first time, a majority of votes.

Local media reported that KMT vice-chairman Hung Hsiu- chu will be the acting chairman until the party holds an election, at the earliest, next month.

Political scientist Wang Yeh-lih of the National Taiwan University said: "Mr Ma's resignation will definitely usher in a temporary period of chaos for the KMT - there will be a new round of factional fighting."

Another question is whether Mr Ma will truly "let go", said political scientist Hsu Yung-ming of Soochow University.

"If it is just to pacify the people, there won't be any real change."

Taiwan Cabinet resigns after KMT's poll defeat
Current team in caretaker role until new line-up is picked
The Straits Times, 2 Dec 2014

TAIPEI - Taiwan's Cabinet has resigned en masse, two days after the ruling party was humiliated in the island's local elections.

The Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) found its power slashed across Taiwan last Saturday, with Premier Jiang Yi-huah quitting hours after the disastrous result - seen as a key barometer ahead of the 2016 presidential race.

In the wake of Mr Jiang's resignation, the 81-strong Cabinet formally stepped down yesterday morning.

The current Cabinet will continue to serve in a caretaker capacity until a new line-up is selected by the next premier, who is likely to be chosen by embattled President Ma Ying-jeou in the coming days.

"As the Cabinet is now entering into the caretaking period, I want to implore you to continue carrying out your roles until the new Cabinet is formed... Hopefully, the period won't last too long," Mr Jiang said in a statement.

Although he defended the performance of his team, he admitted that "voters were not happy".

The KMT has been struggling with growing public fears over increased influence from China, with ties warming since Mr Ma took office in 2008.

A slowing economy and a string of food scandals have also angered voters.

Benefiting from the KMT's rout was its main rival, the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which took 47.5 per cent of the total votes cast.

The KMT garnered 40.7 per cent.

There were 11,130 seats at all levels of local government up for grabs, with 18 million eligible voters. Turnout was 67.5 per cent.

Of the 22 cities/municipalities and counties, the KMT won just six, with 13 going to the DPP and the remaining three, including Taipei, won by independents.

Since Mr Ma became president on a China-friendly platform, frosty ties between Beijing and Taipei have warmed, leading to a tourist boom of Chinese visitors to Taiwan, as well as expanded trade links.

But there is public anxiety at the closer relationship.

A proposed services trade pact with the mainland sparked mass student-led protests and a three-week occupation of Taiwan's Parliament in March.

China has urged Taiwan to "push forward" with cross- strait relations in the wake of the vote.

An editorial in the state-run Global Times yesterday blamed the KMT's loss on the party's "incompetence in managing Taiwan's economy and society", but said the defeat "doesn't mean the triumph of Taiwan independence forces".

"So far, the DPP has been toeing the line without challenging cross-strait relations," it added.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE