TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's president and Taipei's mayor exchanged pointed remarks over flood management at a Taoist temple ceremony Thursday (July 2), turning a religious festival into a political stage as the ruling party's mayoral candidate looked on.
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) shared the stage at Zhinan Temple (指南宮) but barely interacted. The two shook hands only upon entering and were seated on opposite sides of the aisle.
The ceremony honored the 1,146th anniversary of Lu Dongbin (呂洞賓), a Taoist deity, at one of Taiwan's most significant temples.
Speaking first, Lai questioned local governments' flood preparedness, calling recent flooding in Taipei's Neihu district "rare" given decades of infrastructure investment. He noted that since the Yuanshan Diversion Tunnel (員山子分洪道) was completed (in 2005), both Xizhi and Neihu had experienced few flooding incidents.
The president also used the occasion to praise Shen Boyang (沈伯洋), the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's candidate for Taipei mayor. Lai credited Shen with visiting flood victims "immediately" and working with the Executive Yuan, Taiwan's cabinet, to secure additional relief funds.
The central government announced increased flood relief subsidies. Homes flooded above 50 centimeters will receive NT$20,000 (around US$627), with an additional NT$10,000 (around US$313) for appliance damage in homes flooded above 30 centimeters.
Lai also pressed Taiwan's parliament, the Legislative Yuan, to pass the central government's annual budget, which includes NT$100 billion (around US$3.13 billion) over four years for water management. The budget remains blocked as of early July.
Chiang, speaking after Lai, did not directly address the president's remarks. He called for unity in the face of extreme weather and criticized political point-scoring.
"Taiwan has no shortage of mutual accusations and political rhetoric," Chiang said. "What we need is unity to face natural disasters together."
"I hope that any leader in Taiwan will keep the people's wellbeing at heart, reject hatred and division, and work together for the economy and people's livelihoods," he added.
Shen, a legislator and academic, avoided direct engagement with the flooding controversy in his remarks. "Truth, goodness, and beauty are not only our compass but also our righteous path," Shen said.
The event marked the first joint public appearance of Lai and Shen since the DPP nominated Shen to challenge Chiang in the upcoming Taipei mayoral election.
The Neihu flooding occurred after Typhoon Mekkhala's outer circulation bands brought heavy rain to Taipei. Neither Lai nor Chiang provided technical evidence to support their respective positions on the flooding's cause. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$31.92)
