Grassroots Governance in Taiwan 9811998280, 9789811998287

Table of contents :
Contents
List of Tables
1 The Establishment and Evolution of Nantou County and Puli Town
1 Evolution and General Situation of the Constitutional System in Nantou County
1.1 A Brief History of Nantou County
1.2 Profile of Nantou County
2 The Establishment and Evolution of Puli
2.1 History and Constitution of Puli
2.2 Profile of Puli
3 The Establishment and Evolution of Xi’nan Li
3.1 The History and Establishment of Zhuzaishan
3.2 Natural Conditions of ZhuzaiShan Community
3.3 Industrial Formation of ZhuzaiShan Community
Notes
2 Executive Branch and Autonomy of Nantou County and Township
1 Nantou County Government and Puli Town Hall
1.1 Nantou County Government Structure
1.2 Organizational Structure of Puli Town Hall
2 The Election of the Heads of Government of the Towns and Cities of Nantou County
2.1 Election of Local Executive Heads at the County and Township Levels
2.2 Removal of the Heads of Local Administration at the County and Town Levels
2.3 Disciplinary Action and By-Election of Local Executive Heads at the County and Township Levels
3 The Content of Self-Government of Nantou County Town
3.1 Matters of Self-Government of the Nantou County Government
3.2 Matters of Self-Government of Puli Town Hall
3.3 Matters of Cross-Regional Autonomy
Notes
3 Local Councils and Self-Government in Nantou County
1 Creation and Function of Nantou County Council
1.1 Nantou County Council
1.2 Organization of the Nantou County Council
1.3 Deliberation and Operation of the Nantou County Council
2 The Emergence and Operation of the Puli Town People’s Congress
2.1 Formation and Functions of the Puli Town Council
2.2 Organizational Structure of the Puli Town Council
2.3 Operation of the Puli Town People’s Congress
3 Relationship Between Local Representatives of Public Opinion and Voters
3.1 Scope of Services
3.2 Service Content
3.3 Form of Service
Notes
4 Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County
1 General Financial Situation of Nantou County and Township
1.1 Content and Classification of Revenue of the Nantou County and Town Governments
1.2 Types and Composition of the New Year Expenditure of the Nantou County and Town Governments
1.3 Debts of Nantou County and Town Governments
2 The Relationship Between the Government and the Government Under the County and Township Finance
2.1 County Governments and County Councils
2.2 The Relationship Between the Finance of the Town Public Office and the Town People’s Congress
3 The Inter-governmental Relationship Under the County and Township Finance
3.1 Relations with the Higher Authorities
3.2 Relations with Lower-Level Governments
3.3 Relations with Governments at the Same Level
Notes
5 The Relationship Between Political Parties in Local Governance
1 The General Situation of Political Parties in Nantou County
1.1 Characteristics of Political Parties in the Nantou County Region
1.2 Political Party System in Nantou County
1.3 Funds for Political Parties in the Nantou County Region
2 Functions of Political Parties in Nantou County
2.1 Political Parties and Local Community Service Centers
2.2 Mobilization of Local Organizations of Political Parties
2.3 Local Political Expression of Political Parties
3 Political Relations of Political Parties in Nantou County
3.1 A Small Party Cabinet Within a Local Government
3.2 Relations Between Political Parties in the Relations Between Local Governments
3.3 Relations Between Political Parties in the Halls of Deliberation
Notes
6 The Relationship Between the County Councils and Government
1 Relations Between the Government and the Local Councils of Nantou County
1.1 Government and Council
1.2 Government-to-Government Interaction
2 Types of Relations Between the Town Government and the Local Council in Nantou County
2.1 Cooperative Government-Association Relationship
2.2 Confrontation-Oriented Government-Association Relationship
2.3 Regular Government-Association Relationship
3 Factors Affecting the Relationship Between the Government and the Local Council of Nantou County
3.1 Political Parties
3.2 Factional Factors
3.3 Interest Factor
Notes
7 The “One Whip” in Local Governance
1 The Connotation of “One Whip” System
1.1 Establishing the “One Whip”
1.2 The Function of “One Whip”
1.3 The Controversy Over “One Whip”
2 The Superior-Subordinate Relationship in the “One Whip” System
2.1 Intergovernmental Relations in “One Whip”
2.2 “Dual Subjection” in “One Whip”
3 The Relationship of Equality in the “One Whip” System
3.1 “Convergence” in Sharp Distinctions
3.2 “Triage” in the Clear Separation of the Two
Notes
8 The Judicial Relationship in Local Governance
1 Structure of the Local Judicial System
1.1 Nantou County District Court
1.2 Puli Court
1.3 Administrative Litigation Division of Nantou District Court
2 Political Relations in the Local Judicial System
2.1 People Against the Government
2.2 Lobby Administration of Justice
2.3 Cross-Domain “Association”
3 The Impact of Local Judicial System on Grassroots Governance
3.1 “Judges of the People” Participate in the Trial
3.2 Pre-trial “Family Mediation”
3.3 “Sunshine Justice” Strengthens Public Trust
Notes
9 Political Relations and Role of the Village Chief in Grassroots Village (Sub-District) Governance
1 Administrative Structure and Type of Village (Sub-District)
1.1 Administrative Structure of a Village (Sub-District)
1.2 Type of Village (Sub-District)
2 The Structure and Functions of Village (Sub-District) Leaders
2.1 Composition of Village (Sub-District) Header
2.2 Duties of the Village (Sub-District) Chief
2.3 Establishment and Functions of the Village (Sub-District) Officer
3 Political Relations Among Village (Sub-District) Leaders
3.1 Political Relationship Between the Village (Sub-District) Chief and the Local Administration
3.2 Political Relationship Between the Village (Sub-District) Chief and the Representatives of Public Opinion
3.3 Political Relationship Between the Village Chief and the Social Organizations
Notes
10 The Political Relationship Between the Community Development Association and the Grassroots Governance
1 Evolution and General Situation of the Puli Association for Community Development
1.1 Predecessor to the Puli Association for Community Development
1.2 Evolution of the Puli Association for Community Development
1.3 Current Situation of the Puli Association for Community Development
2 Orientation and functions of the Puli Association for Community Development
2.1 Positioning of the Puli Community Development Association
2.2 Functions of the Puli Association for Community Development
2.3 Similarities and Differences Between Community Development Associations and Village (Sub-Districts) Organizations
3 Political Relationship Between the Puli Associations for Community Development and the Village (Sub-District)
3.1 Adversarial Relationship
3.2 Cooperative Relations
3.3 Tolerant Relationship
Notes
11 Election Behavior and Relationship with Grassroots Governance
1 Networking During the Non-Election Period
1.1 Party Responsibility
1.2 Demonstration of Ability
1.3 Personal Relationship
2 Installation and Binding of Piles During the Election Period
2.1 Tamping Down “Small Piles”
2.2 Tighten the “Middle Stake”
2.3 Deep Excavation for “Diving Piles”
3 Fixing and Pulling Out Piles During the Election Period
3.1 Setting up Dummy Posts
3.2 Timely Consolidation of Piles
Notes
12 The Behavior and Relationship of Political Participation in Grassroots Governance
1 The Behaviors and Forms of Individual Political Participation
1.1 Making Representations in Accordance with the Law
1.2 Public–Official Interactions
1.3 Public Supervision
2 The Behavior and Form of Temporary Group Political Participation
2.1 Representations and Appeals
2.2 Appeal and Publicity
2.3 Discussion and Dialogue
3 The Behavior and Form of the Fixed Group’s Political Participation
3.1 Regular Meetings
3.2 Periodic Elections
Notes
Appendix
A Record of Visits and Observations in Taiwan
2018-3-1, Wuhan-Taipei-Taizhong, Rain to Shine
2018-3-2 Taizhong-Puli-Jinan University
2018-3-8 Chinese New Year
P.S:
2018-3-14, Spring Hike
2018-3-15
2018-3-17 Puli-zhushan
2018-4-23 Puli-Tainan Wushantou Dam
2018-4-27 Puli-Hualian
2018-4-28 Project Earth, Take Root!
2018-5-5 Sun Moon Lake Ching
2018-5-7 Puli-Jiayi-puli
2018-5-11 Tunghai University
2018-5-12 Puli-wan lam-Puli Ching
Disaster Area
2018-5-17 Puli-Taizhong-puli Ching
2018-6-6 Thank You for Having Me!
2018-6-9 Narration and Continuation
2018-6-12
2018-7-18 Depth Determines Height
Farm Irrigation Association
2018-7-24 Community: Symbiosis, Common Good, Sharing
2018-7-26 Industry Creates Happiness
2018-8-2 Puli-mei Indigenous Tribe
2018-8-9 sunny
2018-8-17 Fair-Afternoon Thunderstorm
2018-8-18
2018-8-20 Puli-ki Lung Ching
2018-8-21 Geelong-Taipei-New North-po lai ching-showers
2018-8-22
2018-8-28 Taiwan-wuhan

Citation preview

Yaguang Hao

Grassroots Governance in Taiwan

Grassroots Governance in Taiwan

Yaguang Hao

Grassroots Governance in Taiwan

Yaguang Hao Central China Normal University Wuhan, China

ISBN 978-981-19-9828-7 ISBN 978-981-19-9829-4 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore

Contents

1

2

The Establishment and Evolution of Nantou County and Puli Town 1 Evolution and General Situation of the Constitutional System in Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 A Brief History of Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Profile of Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Establishment and Evolution of Puli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 History and Constitution of Puli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Profile of Puli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Establishment and Evolution of Xi’nan Li . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 The History and Establishment of Zhuzaishan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Natural Conditions of ZhuzaiShan Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 Industrial Formation of ZhuzaiShan Community . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Branch and Autonomy of Nantou County and Township . 1 Nantou County Government and Puli Town Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 Nantou County Government Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Organizational Structure of Puli Town Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Election of the Heads of Government of the Towns and Cities of Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Election of Local Executive Heads at the County and Township Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Removal of the Heads of Local Administration at the County and Town Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Disciplinary Action and By-Election of Local Executive Heads at the County and Township Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Content of Self-Government of Nantou County Town . . . . . . . . 3.1 Matters of Self-Government of the Nantou County Government 3.2 Matters of Self-Government of Puli Town Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 Matters of Cross-Regional Autonomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1 1 1 2 5 5 7 9 9 10 12 15 15 15 18 24 24 29 31 34 34 38 45

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3

Contents

Local Councils and Self-Government in Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . 1 Creation and Function of Nantou County Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 Nantou County Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Organization of the Nantou County Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Deliberation and Operation of the Nantou County Council . . . 2 The Emergence and Operation of the Puli Town People’s Congress . 2.1 Formation and Functions of the Puli Town Council . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Organizational Structure of the Puli Town Council . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Operation of the Puli Town People’s Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Relationship Between Local Representatives of Public Opinion and Voters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Scope of Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Service Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 Form of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

49 49 49 52 54 58 58 60 60 62 62 66 70

4

Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . 77 1 General Financial Situation of Nantou County and Township . . . . . . 77 1.1 Content and Classification of Revenue of the Nantou County and Town Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 1.2 Types and Composition of the New Year Expenditure of the Nantou County and Town Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 1.3 Debts of Nantou County and Town Governments . . . . . . . . . . . 84 2 The Relationship Between the Government and the Government Under the County and Township Finance . . . . . 90 2.1 County Governments and County Councils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 2.2 The Relationship Between the Finance of the Town Public Office and the Town People’s Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 3 The Inter-governmental Relationship Under the County and Township Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 3.1 Relations with the Higher Authorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 3.2 Relations with Lower-Level Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 3.3 Relations with Governments at the Same Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

5

The Relationship Between Political Parties in Local Governance . . . 1 The General Situation of Political Parties in Nantou County . . . . . . . 1.1 Characteristics of Political Parties in the Nantou County Region 1.2 Political Party System in Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Funds for Political Parties in the Nantou County Region . . . . . 2 Functions of Political Parties in Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Political Parties and Local Community Service Centers . . . . . . 2.2 Mobilization of Local Organizations of Political Parties . . . . . . 2.3 Local Political Expression of Political Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Political Relations of Political Parties in Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 A Small Party Cabinet Within a Local Government . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Relations Between Political Parties in the Relations Between Local Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

105 105 105 107 109 112 112 115 117 121 121 122

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3.3 Relations Between Political Parties in the Halls of Deliberation 124 6

The Relationship Between the County Councils and Government . . 1 Relations Between the Government and the Local Councils of Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 Government and Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Government-to-Government Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Types of Relations Between the Town Government and the Local Council in Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Cooperative Government-Association Relationship . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Confrontation-Oriented Government-Association Relationship 2.3 Regular Government-Association Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Factors Affecting the Relationship Between the Government and the Local Council of Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Political Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Factional Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 Interest Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

129

7

The “One Whip” in Local Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Connotation of “One Whip” System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 Establishing the “One Whip” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 The Function of “One Whip” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 The Controversy Over “One Whip” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Superior-Subordinate Relationship in the “One Whip” System . 2.1 Intergovernmental Relations in “One Whip” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 “Dual Subjection” in “One Whip” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Relationship of Equality in the “One Whip” System . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 “Convergence” in Sharp Distinctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 “Triage” in the Clear Separation of the Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

143 144 144 145 146 147 147 149 150 150 151

8

The Judicial Relationship in Local Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Structure of the Local Judicial System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 Nantou County District Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Puli Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Administrative Litigation Division of Nantou District Court . . 2 Political Relations in the Local Judicial System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 People Against the Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Lobby Administration of Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Cross-Domain “Association” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Impact of Local Judicial System on Grassroots Governance . . . 3.1 “Judges of the People” Participate in the Trial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Pre-trial “Family Mediation” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 “Sunshine Justice” Strengthens Public Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

155 155 155 156 156 157 157 158 159 160 160 162 163

129 129 131 134 134 135 136 137 137 137 140

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Political Relations and Role of the Village Chief in Grassroots Village (Sub-District) Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Administrative Structure and Type of Village (Sub-District) . . . . . . . 1.1 Administrative Structure of a Village (Sub-District) . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Type of Village (Sub-District) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Structure and Functions of Village (Sub-District) Leaders . . . . . 2.1 Composition of Village (Sub-District) Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Duties of the Village (Sub-District) Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Establishment and Functions of the Village (Sub-District) Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Political Relations Among Village (Sub-District) Leaders . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Political Relationship Between the Village (Sub-District) Chief and the Local Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Political Relationship Between the Village (Sub-District) Chief and the Representatives of Public Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 Political Relationship Between the Village Chief and the Social Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 The Political Relationship Between the Community Development Association and the Grassroots Governance . . . . . . . . . 1 Evolution and General Situation of the Puli Association for Community Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 Predecessor to the Puli Association for Community Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Evolution of the Puli Association for Community Development 1.3 Current Situation of the Puli Association for Community Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Orientation and functions of the Puli Association for Community Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Positioning of the Puli Community Development Association . 2.2 Functions of the Puli Association for Community Development 2.3 Similarities and Differences Between Community Development Associations and Village (Sub-Districts) Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Political Relationship Between the Puli Associations for Community Development and the Village (Sub-District) . . . . . . . 3.1 Adversarial Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Cooperative Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 Tolerant Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Election Behavior and Relationship with Grassroots Governance . . 1 Networking During the Non-Election Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 Party Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Demonstration of Ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Personal Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Installation and Binding of Piles During the Election Period . . . . . . .

165 165 165 168 170 170 175 179 183 183 187 190 195 195 195 196 197 199 199 200

202 206 206 209 211 213 213 213 214 217 218

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2.1 Tamping Down “Small Piles” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Tighten the “Middle Stake” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Deep Excavation for “Diving Piles” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fixing and Pulling Out Piles During the Election Period . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Setting up Dummy Posts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Timely Consolidation of Piles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

218 220 221 223 223 223

12 The Behavior and Relationship of Political Participation in Grassroots Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Behaviors and Forms of Individual Political Participation . . . . . 1.1 Making Representations in Accordance with the Law . . . . . . . . 1.2 Public–Official Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Public Supervision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Behavior and Form of Temporary Group Political Participation 2.1 Representations and Appeals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Appeal and Publicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Discussion and Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Behavior and Form of the Fixed Group’s Political Participation 3.1 Regular Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Periodic Elections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

227 227 227 228 229 230 230 231 232 234 234 236

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

List of Tables

Chapter 1 Table 1 Table 2

Taiwan administrative territorial entity evolution table . . . . . . . . . . Average monthly light hours, temperature, and precipitation over Sun Moon Lake from 1981 to 2010 (in hours, meters per second, degrees Celsius, millimeters) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3

11

Chapter 2 Table 1 Table 2 Table 3

The elected governors of Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . List of mayors of Puli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “County Time” processing schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19 23 39

Chapter 3 Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4

Members of the fifth constituency of Nantou County . . . . . . . . . . . Votes obtained by elected members of the fifth constituency of Nantou County in 2014 (unit: tickets, %) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deputies of the first constituency town, Puli Town, Nantou County, in 2014 (unit: tickets,%) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Schedules of county councilors July 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

63 65 66 73

Chapter 4 Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4

Nantou County General Budget Summary of revenue sources by budget, 2017 (unit: NT $1,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nantou County Puli Town total budget revenue concise comparative analysis table, 2017 (units: NT $,%) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nantou County General Budget for year-on-year government affairs budget summary, 2017 (units: NT $, %) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Puli Town Nantou County 2017 annual budget and the proportion of each year (units: NT $, %) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

78 81 83 85

xi

xii

Table 5

List of Tables

Competent administrative authorities to municipalities and counties (cities) government subsidies and maximum subsidy rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

96

Chapter 5 Table 1

Representation of five political parties in the 9th Taiwan Legislature 107

Chapter 6 Table 1

Distribution of members in the Nantou County Council . . . . . . . . .

138

Chapter 9 Table 1 Table 2 Table 3

Population size in 33-mile Puli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2018 election of village chiefs in Puli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Functional classification of village (sub-district) chiefs . . . . . . . . .

166 171 175

Chapter 10 Table 1

Differences between village neighborhood organizations and Community Development Associations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

203

Chapter 1

The Establishment and Evolution of Nantou County and Puli Town

Nantou County, in competent executive authorities Taiwan Island, is Taiwan Province’s only inland county away from the sea. Hualian County borders to the east, Zhanghua County and Yunlin County to the west, Jiayi County and Gaoxiong City to the south, and Taizhong to the north. With moderate temperature all the year round and abundant rainfall, the area became the first choice of many First Nations. According to statistics, the ancestors of people of more than 500 surnames in Nantou County came to Taiwan from Competent executive authorities Plain through Fujian and Guangdong. The language, customs, and ethics they follow to this day are also a continuation of Competent executive authorities Plains’ orthodoxy. Further, Nantou County’s unique geographical advantage led to the Taiwan Provincial Government moving to Zhongxing New Village, Nantou City, on July 1, 1957.

1 Evolution and General Situation of the Constitutional System in Nantou County 1.1 A Brief History of Nantou County Nantou County is home to the first mature tribe—“Nantou Club.” Furushi records: “Tiger tail north of the Dawu County Hill, East for Nantou Mountain, the second, the South for Nantou XI, North for the north,” and so named “Nantou.” Nantou, a mountainous county, has only 25% of its land area in flat land (including basins and valley plains).1 The relatively special geographical environment of this region provided the mountain aborigines with space to gather and live. For instance, currently scattered in Nantou County’s counties and cities (Taidong, Hualian, Taoyuan, Taizhong, Gaoxiong) are the Seediq people, Atayal people, and Bunun People’s original township.2 Although humans have been active in the region for a long time, limited by a vague

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_1

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record, their history can be traced briefly to the invasion and occupation of Taiwan by Dutch colonists. In 1624, the Dutch colonizers from Penghu occupied southern Taiwan; in 1626, the Spanish colonizers occupied northern Taiwan; in 1661, Koxinga,3 who landed at Luermen in Tainan, succeeded in driving out the Dutch colonists in 1662, retaking Taiwan and setting up a government, two counties, and a pacification division. In 1664, his son Zheng Jing promulmend the system, divided the region into towns reclamation. He merged the Army Forest Qian Rate Department of Reclamation Water and sand-even region, gradually formed settlements, and this become the earliest administrative region in Nantou County. Since the Qing dynasty in 1684 enfolded Taiwan into its territory, Nantou Society, Beitou Society, and Shuishalian4 in Nantou region have remained subordinate to Zhuluo County, Zhanghua County, and Jiayi County, respectively. Since the Qing government was established in 1759 in Nantou City of Nantou County in the twenty-fourth year of the Qianlong reign, the territory of Nantou County has been under the jurisdiction of Lifan on the North Road, Puli Community Hall, and Taiwan County. Taiwan was ceded to Japan in 1895, beginning a 50-year period of Japanese rule, as per the Qing government’s humiliating treaty with Japan, the Treaty of Shimonoseki. During the Japanese occupation, the administrative territorial entity of Nantou County was subject to constant change. It was not until 1901 (Guangxu twenty-seven) that. Nantou County became a separate administrative region in the administrative territorial entity of Nantou Prefecture. After Taiwan’s recovery, the National Government in 1949 adjusted the whole of Taiwan into 5 provincial-level cities, 16 counties, and 1 administrative bureau,5 and abolished the “District” administrative units between counties and townships. Nantou County was thus formally established (see Table 1).

1.2 Profile of Nantou County (1) Mother of the Earth of Taiwan Located in the middle of Taiwan Island, Nantou County has a transitional climate between the north and the south. Due to the combined influence of latitude and vertical elevation,7 the natural environment in Nantou County is vertical, it contains the four climatic zones of the tropics, subtropics, temperate, and frigid zones, as well as four types of soil,8 namely alluvial soil, red loam soil, yellow loam soil, and colluvial soil, to provide suitable ecological conditions for the livelihood of indigenous people. As Nantou County is independent of the sea, it is protected by natural mountains in the east and the Pacific, which makes it less susceptible to the winter and summer monsoons than other regions, and with steady rainfall, abundant sunshine, and an

1 Evolution and General Situation of the Constitutional System in Nantou …

3

Table 1 Taiwan administrative territorial entity evolution table6 Period

Date

This county is under the jurisdiction of the county

Ming dynasty

Ming Yongli 15 years (1661)

Tianxing County (north of Xingang Creek to Geelong)

Ming Yongli 18 years (1664)

Tianxingzhou (jurisdiction Tongtianxing County)

Qing Kangxi 23 years (1684)

Zhuluo County (Tongtianxing County)

The first year of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing dynasty (1723)

Zhanghua County: divided from Zhuluo County and added to the northern border at Dajia Stream, the South Border Huwei stream, the east border “North–South Toushan” East Twenty Miles

Qing dynasty

Qing emperor Qianlong 24 years Zhanghua County adds “Zhanghua (1759) County Magistrate” in Nantou The first year (1875) of Qing Guangxu

Japanese Occupation

After recovery

Taiwan Province

Qing Guangxu 5 years (1879)

Zhanghua County

Qing Guangxu 10 years (1884)

Taiwan Province

Qing Guangxu 13 years (1887)

After the establishment of Taiwan Province, this county is divided into counties under Taiwan’s government, including Taiwan County, Zhanghua County, Puli community hall, Yunlin County

1895, 18-July

Taiwan County

1895, 25-Aug

Taiwan Civil Affairs Branch

1896, 1-April

Taizhong County

1897, 3-May

Taizhong County and Jiayi County

1898, 18-Jun

Taizhong County

1901, 9-Nov

They belong to Nantou Prefecture Hall and Dou Liu Hall

1910, 1-Feb

Nantou Hall

1920, 1-Oct

Taizhong State

1946, 1-Jan

Taizhong County

1950

From Taizhong, officially established

1981, 25-Oct

Nantou County

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annual average temperature of 22.4 °C,9 the region is ideal for farming. However, Nantou County is prone to droughts in the spring and autumn,10 second only to Jianan Plain. It is commonly claimed that of “ten years, nine years of drought”11 prevail. Puli recorded 151 long days without rain in 1925.12 The county territory of the Dadu River and Zhuoshui River provide abundant water resources for local agricultural production and human consumption. For example, originating in Sistema Competent executive authorities, Nantou County, at the foot of the Shanxi province of Dadu River, the flow is abundant, and the tributaries of the river flow through Puli, and other towns named after family names such as Ren’ai, Caotun, Nantou, Zhongliao, Mingjian, and others. As the longest river in the province, Zhuoshui River has the most abundant hydraulic reserves. Its tributaries flow through Zhushan, Jiji, Shuili, Xinyi, Lugu, Yuchi, Ren’ai, and other towns. The proportion of mammal species and amphibian species in Nantou County is 70% and 81%, respectively, and the proportion of endemic species is even higher. Therefore, be it animals or plants or resources, Nantou as the mother provides a unique habitat for life and is known as the “Mother of the Earth of Taiwan.” (2) Heart of Taiwan In terms of the geographical space of Nantou County, the county is about 72 km wide from east to west and 95 km long from north to south, with a total area of about 4,106 km2 . It is separated from other counties and cities by the natural demarcation lines of mountains and rivers. In the east and west, it is bounded by Sistema Competent executive authorities and Bagua Tableland, respectively. In the north and south, the county is bounded by Qingshuixi and its tributaries in Yushan, and the watershed of Beigang River and Dajia River (Baigoudashan and Baxian Mountains) and Dadu River, respectively. The western boundary line is about 25 km from the nearest part of the Taiwan Strait, the eastern boundary line is about 25 km from the nearest part of the Pacific coast, and the northern and southern boundary lines are about 100 km from the nearest part of the northern and southern coasts of Taiwan Island.13 Nantou County, therefore, is situated at the center of the island. Additionally, the Tiger Head Hill in the Puli Basin in competent executive authorities Nantou County lies at the geographical center of Taiwan Island. Nantou County, located in the mainland of Taiwan Island, has played an important role in Taiwan’s history since ancient times. Through the region flows the longest stream in Taiwan, Zhuoshui River, and the largest lake, the Sun Moon Lake. It also has the highest mountain, the main peak of Yushan, the widest forest area, Sistema Competent executive authorities, the deepest regions of wilderness, the Danda mountain area, the largest basin, Puli Basins, and the largest natural ecology-protected areas and parks. The richly endowed natural environment of green mountains and green waters truly make this the “Heart of Taiwan.” However, what makes it even more valuable is Nantou County’s rich cultural heritage, with the largest number of ethnic groups living peacefully in the territory, and the rich and varied cultural features of each ethnic group, wherein, from generation to generation, ethnic groups have been active in the mountainous areas of the county.

2 The Establishment and Evolution of Puli

5

(3) Taiwan’s beauty Nantou County is one of the 11 counties in Taiwan Province, with 1 city, 4 towns, and 8 townships under its jurisdiction. They are, respectively, Nantou City; Caotun, Jiji, Puli, Zhushan; and Zhongliao, Guoxing, Ren’ai Township, Mingjian Township, Shuili Township, Yuchi Township, Xinyi, and Lugu. The county seat is in Nantou City. As of September 2018, Nantou County has 262 villages, 4,276 neighborhoods, 178,309 households, 498,117 people, and a population density of 121 persons per km.14 Of these, 255,081 are male and 243,036 are female. As the Nantou County song goes, “Yushan is high, turbid waters are long, BAODAO stands erect in the Pacific, Nantou is in the center, Wushe is strong, Sun Moon Lake is rippling, the Sun is rising on Hehuan Mountain, Dongpu is beautiful, Xitou is cool, people are happy, flowers and fruits are fragrant.” Nantou is replete with beautiful natural landscapes. However, Nantou County’s aborigines are even more distinctive. For example, among the Atayal people, mainly living in Ren’ai, exquisite weaving and traditional dance forms are still preserved. Among the Bunun people, who live in the high mountains of Xinyi and Ren’ai, the eight-part harmony is still continues. The Tsou people, where the Kume Society lives in Wangmei Village, Xinyi Township, even today follow the custom of offering sacrifices to warriors and soldiers. The Shao people, who are concentrated in the dehua society (Boji Society, Riyue village in Yuchi Township) and the Tai Ping Lin (northeast corner of the Halkan village in Shui Li Township), follow the spirit of the ancestors, continue the rhythmic pestle song; and the county surname, village hakkas, which is still assiduously used.

2 The Establishment and Evolution of Puli 2.1 History and Constitution of Puli According to historical records, the Shuishalian region,15 where Puli is located, was an “alien land” that had been under the jurisdiction of Chu Lo County since 1684 of the Qing Emperor Kangxi twenty-three. The region was known as “Uchiyama (inner mountain)” at the time, because of the complex and relatively closed topography of the area, and because it was inhabited by indigenous peoples and tribes who had limited contact with the outside world. Even in as early as 1713, erected stone markers to mark the boundary, strictly enforcing a ban on anyone crossing the border to avoid cross-border disputes. In 1737, the Qing government lifted the ban on settlers bringing families to Taiwan, and the number of Han settlers from Fujian and Guangdong provinces increased. In 1740, the surname “Pan” was given by the Qing dynasty to the Aborigines of Quian Tong society, and hence the name “Pan” stuck to the Taiwanese Plains Aborigine people of Puli. For ease of administration, in 1743 the Shalian Bao was established. Due to frequent conflicts between the Han and the Aborigines, the Qing government in 1744 banned the Han from competing to reclaim land, and erected stone

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monuments in 1752 to mark the boundaries of the Aborigines’ lives, and no Chinese were allowed in or out. The local government in 1790 mapped the land in detail and erected a new boundary stone to permanently ban cross-border disputes (Qianlong fifty-five). In 1791(Qianlong fifty-six), the flocking system was implemented. In 1848 (year twenty-eight of Daoguang), the newly appointed sub-inspector of Taiwan’s military garrison, Xu Zonggan, accepted the request of the governor’s office to open up land for the people of the Shuishashe and Liushe communities. He requested that a book be set up to convert the Shuishashe and Liushe communities, which originally belonged to the Xiaotun District of Yili, into a distinct community, with independent water and sand resources Shuishalian Datun, and 400 troops. With the completion of water conservancy facilities in 1851, in Jiadongjiao Zhen, Beihong Zhen, and Shouchengfen Zhen steady farming by the Taiwanese Plains Aborigines community laid the foundation for the development of the Li Basin. In 1857, Zheng Le, a native of Quanzhou, entered the Puli Basin to trade with the Taiwanese Plains Aborigines. In accordance with the customs of the Aborigines, he changed his name to Pei Yi of the Taiwanese Plains Aborigines nationality and made an agreement with the Taiwanese Plains Aborigines people not to seize, cheat, or occupy land. He not only gained the trust of the Taiwanese Plains Aborigines people but also was allowed to live in Puli Society. Since then, Chinese immigration began to increase. After 1874, the opening of the “Kai Shan fu fan” lifted the ban on Han people crossing Taiwan and allowed Han people to enter the area. In 1876 (the second year of Guangxu), 19 free schools and 7 free schools were set up in Puli SheBu (i.e., Chonggui, Shuishe, Maolan, Sima, and Xincheng Wuzhuang), respectively, to educate Aboriginal children. In 1877, General Wu Guangliang of Taiwan built Dapu City (the predecessor of today’s Puli District), and its architectural structure. The base was Earth, surrounded by barbed wire, further by a gully, and then by four mens: east, west, south and north, around the entire seven hundred zhang, and it came to be known as “Dapu City,” which became the point of control of Taiwan’s competent executive authorities frontier town. In 1884 (the tenth year of Guangxu), local police, township police, and general police forces were established to maintain law and order. Among them, Dibao, or the local police, were mainly for litigation purposes, Xiang Bao, or township police, were for searches, and the general police were meant for making arrests. In 1885 (11th year of Guangxu), when Taiwan was founded, Liu Mingchuan became the first governor of the province. “Fufan” was the first rule of Taiwan, and Puli became the main center of Fufan. Therefore, in the Puli She, a hall of Fu Min Tong Pan, also known as “Sub-fu Ding,” was set up In 1886 (12th year of Guangxu period), the Bureau of Reclamation of Puli community was established in fanjie, merging Lifan Tongzhi and Reclamation Committee members. In 1888 (14th year of Guangxu), Puli Community Hall was established. In 1889 (Guangxu 15 years), Dapu city came within the establishment of the North Road Xie Zhenfu. In 1895 (Guangxu twenty-one), the Qing government lost the First Sino-Japanese War and was forced to sign the Treaty of Shimonoseki on April 17 of that year, ceding Taiwan and Penghu. On July 28, 1985, the Japanese military and police forces jointly entered Dapu city. After that, the Department of Civil Affairs of Puli

2 The Establishment and Evolution of Puli

7

community (located in Puli Community City) was established. In 1896, the Puli District Court and Puli Community Prison Department were established. In 1904, the PO West District and PO East District were established in the jurisdiction of 1st Street and 13 Zhuang were set up. The street consumer market started from the Po yard direct camp.16 In 1920, the Puli Society was changed to Puli Street, and the Nenggao County office (located in Puli Street) was set up under the jurisdiction of Puli Street, Guo Xingzhuang, and Fan Di. After the the Lugouqiao Incident of July 7, 1937, the colonial government began to push for “Japanization”.17 On August 15, 1945, the Japanese government announced that the unconditional surrender of Taiwan would be restored, and Puli Street would become Puli Town in Nenggao District of Taizhong County with the adjustment of the administrative territorial entity. On December 25 of the same year, the administrative region of Taiwan changed its system from the old system of county to district, from street to town, from village to township, from State Hall to county government, from county office to district office, and from Street Village to township office, with its sub-village, Li, adjacent to the office. Nantou District, Xingao District, Nenggao District, and Zhushan District all belong to Taizhong County. Puli Street also belongs to Taizhong County. In 1946, the Department of High-Energy Zone was set up in Puli, and the office of Puli Town was also set up in Dongjiajiao. In 1947, the 228 Incident broke out in Puli,18 the “Wu Niu Lan battle.” In May of the same year, the Taiwan Provincial Government was established, and the office of Taiwan’s chief executive was abolished. In 1948, the chief of the township was established to serve as captain. In 1949, the local system was reformed, and Puli was transferred to Nantou County jurisdiction.

2.2 Profile of Puli (1) Geographic center Located in the northern part of Nantou County, the town of Puli, located in the Puli Basin, takes its name from the Puli community. The geographical center of the island of Taiwan (120.57 degrees east longitude, 24.00 degrees north latitude) is located in Puli Town office (government). Puli is bounded by Ren’ai township in the east, Guoxing township in the west, and Yu Chi townshipin the south. The total area of Puli is about 162.227 km2 . According to the “local system law,” there are 33 li19 under Puli, and they are: Dong men Li, Pa cheng Li, Pi pa Li, Shui tou Li, Qi lin Li, Zhuge Li, Xi’nan Li, Xi men Li, Nan men Li, Bei men Li, Bei an Li, Bei mei Li, Tai an Li, Da nan Li, Wu gong Li, Tong sheng Li, Qing Xin Li, Xun Hua Li, Da Cheng Li, Lan Cheng Li, Tao mi Li, Cheng gong Li, Nan Cun Li, Lan Li, Tie Shan Li, Fang li Li, Xiang Shan Li, Yi xin Li, He Cheng Li, Guang cheng Li, Shigang Li, Fu xing Li, and Niu mian Li. As of September 2018, Puli has 33 villages, 567 neighborhoods, 80,466 people, and a population density of 496 per km2 .20 Of these, 255,081 are male and 243,036 are female.

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(2) Ethnic diversity The Puli Basin was originally home to the ethnic groups of the Atayal people and Bunun people. Meixi is the border between the two ethnic groups, with the Atayal people in the north, and Bunun people in the south. The 1956 Taiwan Province census showed that in September of that year, in Puli, the residents of Nantou County, Minnan people, Hakka people, residents of other counties and cities in Taiwan Province (except Nantou County people), Aborigines, and mainlanders accounted for 15.4%, 13.7%, 27.1%, 56.9%, 3.5%, and 30.5% of the total population of the town, respectively.21 Among them, there were more Minnan settlers in Puli than Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong in early Qing dynasty. The Hakkas settled in Puli later than the Minnan people. According to the pioneering history of Nantou, during the reign of Xianfeng, some hakkas first entered Nantou County from Dadu River. However, most of them migrated to Nantou County from Dongshi, Taizhong, through Daping and Shuichang, and from present-day Miaoli, Hsinchu, and Taoyuan Counties, and less from other counties or the mainland. In the first year of Guangxu, after the lifting of the ban, Hakka people migrated to Puli Basin from Yuzhno-sakhalinsk, Zhuolan, and other regions, and people were absorbed into the reclamation. The residents of other provinces who came to Taiwan after the Second World War were referred to as “Mainlanders.” Judging by the time mainlanders came to Puli, the largest number came to Taiwan in 1949. There were 301 surnames and 87,041 people in Puli before 2010, according to the Census Bureau. Among them, Chen is the most populous, with 2,262 households or 9,094 people, accounting for about 10% of the town’s population; followed by Huang, with 1,645 households or 6,163 people, accounting for 7%; Lin is the third most populous, with 1,510 households or 5,413 people, 6% (see Table 2). According to the Annals of Nantou County, the ancestor of the Chan family was Chen Dachuan, who lived in 1814; the ancestor of the Huang family was Huang Linwang, who was Ai ding22 who lived in 1814; Lin ancestors Lin Ganchuan, Jiaqing years, from Guangdong Jiaying Mei County, crossed the sea to be a part of the Puli community reclamation. (3) Natural conditions Located in the hilly region of competent executive authorities Taiwan, Puli was part of the Qing dynasty’s Shuishalian. The town is surrounded by Sistema Competent executive authorities, Baiguzhi vein of Hehuan mountain and Dahengping vein of Xueshan Range (see Photo 1). Its rolling mountains, vast plains, and rich streams endow it a typical humid subtropical terrain and climate. Therefore, temperatures in Puli are not extreme; winters are not very cold and in summers, with abundant rainfall, clouds and fog, higher humidity, less evaporation, no strong winds, the climate is pleasant and suited for local crops and human life.23

3 The Establishment and Evolution of Xi’nan Li

9

Photo 1 A bird’s eye view of Puli from Tiger Head Hill

3 The Establishment and Evolution of Xi’nan Li 3.1 The History and Establishment of Zhuzaishan The Zhuzaishan community24 lives in the southwest of Puli, about 2.5 km from the city. It is a typical rural settlement with an area of about 578 hectares. On its right is Nanhong Creek, and on its left is Baiye Mountain, forming a unique closed area. In the flat farmlands of Zhulinai, there are two small mounds shaped like “Beads.” It was a gathering place for Aborigines during the Qing dynasty, who were then called the “Zhuzaishan Community”.25 About 200 years ago, the people of Shengfan (Cedric, Bunun) around Puli followed the custom of “making grass.” In other words, they cut off the heads of foreigners to worship the gods. These heinous acts led to the Puli community and Mei community residents of Puli Basin live in a state of constant fear, and they dare not associate with the people of Shengfan. Therefore, before the Yongzheng period of the Qing dynasty, the Puli Basin had been classified a “Hua wai sheng fan area”; it was also specialized in erecting stone boundaries. Not only was it strictly forbidden for the Liushe people (the Shao people) to overstep the boundary, but also the Taiwanese Plains Aborigines and Chinese were forbidden to cross the border for hunting or reclaiming land. Then, in the incident of 1814, the Han Chinese, Guo bainian leded more than 100 people entered Puli and killed the Zhuang ding of the Puli community, almost making the Puli community extinct. This is known as the Guo bainian event.26 The Qing 1823 allowed the shuishe (now the Shao people of Sun Moon Lake) to lead the “Pingpu people” from the Taixi plain into Puli, where they first cultivated in the Zhuzaishan community. Later, the Taiwanese Plains Aborigines joined forces with the Sun Moon Lake and Thao people to drive the Atayal people, Seediq people, and other indigenous peoples into the mountains, turning Puli into Taiwanese Plains Aborigines’ farming domain. Since the “Sheng Fan” in Zhuzaishan is empty, the ancient place name around Zhuzaishan is “Sheng Fan Kong.” After 1949, the region

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was renamed “Xi’nan Li.” With the increase in population, for the convenience of management, the local government had Longsheng Road as the boundary, with Zhuli to the south, while to the north it is still considered Xi’nan Li. As of October 2016, there are 830 households with 2,742 registered residents in Zhuli and Sinanli.

3.2 Natural Conditions of ZhuzaiShan Community In the Puli Basin, where the Zhuzaishan community is located, the Nanhang River (Nanxi) and the Meixi River (North Stream) run through it and divide the Zhuzaishan community into hillside and hilly areas and alluvial plain areas. The plains lie to the left of Nanhang River, and the hilly terrain lies between the alluvial plains of Shunbaiye and Nanhang River. Residents live on the eastern side of the plains to facilitate farming and living. Nanhang River, as the main water system in the ZhuzaiShan community, is the major source of irrigation water for agricultural production. After entering Puli from Yuchi, Nanhang River diverges into three water systems at Zhuzaishan: one flows into Zhuzaishan, another into Chu Keli, and the rest into Nam Kong stream. The stream, which enters Zhugli, further divides itself into three smaller streams, each of which supports farming in three large areas of the plain. Finally, at the northern end of Puli, Nanhang River joins the Beigang River to form the Dadu River and, together with Zhuoshui River, it forms the Nantou County River system. Puli, home to the Pearl Hill community, lies in the middle of Taiwan Island, with humid subtropical climate. The annual average temperature of the region is about 19.2 °C as per 30 years of meteorological observations from 1981 to 2010. The lowest monthly mean temperature is about 14.2 °C in January and the highest is about 23.0 °C in July. The annual average water volume is about 2401.9 mm. Rainfall occurs mainly from May to August, accounting for about 65% of the total annual rainfall. The months with least rainfall are January and October to December. Thunderstorms and typhoons from April to October account for 80% of the annual rainfall. Because of the topography, the climate of Zhuzaishan community is influenced by the northeast monsoon and the southeast monsoon. The former is prevalent from late October to mid-March of the following year. The average wind speed in December can reach up to 3 m per second. The southwest monsoon prevails from early May to late September, is generally not strong, and has little local impact (see Table 2 for details). The Puli Basin has moderate temperature and abundant rainfall. Since the 1840s and 1860s, local farmers have grown rice, sugar cane, and other crops. Limited by the mountainous and hilly terrain, although the river has abundant water power, its flow is short and rapid, and since the water cannot be used effectively, it sometimes results in flooding. Therefore, during the water shortage in winter, even though water is supplied by turns to irrimen the rice fields, disputes become difficult to avoid. In recent years, farmers have replaced bamboo shoots with water-harvesting wells to ensure irrigation and earn good incomes.

49.1

100

15.1

124.7

16.9

1.1

125.7

March

199.5

19.2

1.1

104.2

April

328.3

21

1.1

115.1

May

436.9

22.2

1.2

113.7

June

409.9

23

1.2

155.4

July

403.8

22.7

1.2

135.3

August

232.3

22.1

1.1

122.7

September

Note The above data are from the official website of the Competent executive authorities Weather Bureau in Taiwan27

Precipitation

14.2

Air temperature

131.5

1.1

162.2

1

February

January

Wind speed

Sunshine

Month

18.3 31.2

49.7

162.8

November

20.7

1

148.2

October

36.5

15.2

1

169.2

December

Table 2 Average monthly light hours, temperature, and precipitation over Sun Moon Lake from 1981 to 2010 (in hours, meters per second, degrees Celsius, millimeters)

3 The Establishment and Evolution of Xi’nan Li 11

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1 The Establishment and Evolution of Nantou County and Puli Town

3.3 Industrial Formation of ZhuzaiShan Community According to a survey by the Zhuzaishan Community Development Association in December 2016, the primary industry is agriculture in Zhugeli and Xi’nan Li, with Zizania caduciflora shoot planting area being the largest, accounting for about 98% of the agricultural land area, and income accounting for about 90% of the agricultural industry. Although bananas, pineapples, bamboo shoots, ginger, pepper, vegetables, and other products are cultivated, their scale is much smaller. In recent years, with the readjustment of rural areas in Taiwan and the development of the leisure and tourism industry, the Zhuzaishan community has not only formed competitive food processing plants (such as Shundeyi Bean Factory, Pucheng Food Factory, Puli paper factory, etc.), but also developed the tertiary sector of the economy. For instance, leisure agriculture, based on the characteristics of the community itself, attempts to create a lot of characteristics of the home. For example, “Xi Lvchuan” of the original folk style, “Calligraphy home” of the calligraphy style, “Songtao Garden” of the Japanese style, “Hefeng” of the leisure style of the courtyard, and “Pu Zhongcheng” of the European style. There are “A Rong Division” and other 10 general shop divisions specialized in providing catering services. The catering table epitomizes Puli’s food culture and has helped to raise the profile of the community’s produce.

Notes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Nantou County Cultural Bureau: Nantou County Annals (Volume I), 2010, p. 15. Nantou County Cultural Bureau: Nantou County Annals (Volume II), 2010, p. 9. Died in 1664. Zhuang Yingzhang: Lin Qian Pu: A History of social and economic development of Taiwan Town, Shanghai People’s Publishing House, 2000 edition, p. 27. The history of Nantou County, Nantou County Cultural Bureau, 2010 edition, p. 39. According to the contents of pages 13 to 27 in the Annals of Nantou County (Volume 3). Nantou County’s altitude, spanning 3,800 maize (from 100 m to 3,953 m), Yushan’s main peak. Alluvial soil is mainly distributed in CAOTUN, Nantou, Mingjian, Shuili, Puli and Zhushan river valleys. It is a flat plain or basin and is the essence of agriculture in Nantou County. The red loam soil is mainly distributed in the slope of Puli Basin (e.g., Da Ping Ding), Nantou and Bagua Mountains in Mingjian area. Yellow loam soil and colluvial soil are mainly distributed in hillside and high mountain area. The latter two types of soil are relatively barren and vulnerable to rainfall. Nantou County Cultural Bureau: The Annals of Nantou County (Agricultural Annals), 2010 edition, p. 7. If a place does not receive rain for 50 days, it is a drought; if it does not receive rain for 100 days, it is a major drought. In the five years from 1958 to 1962, all but the 1959 had droughts. Nantou County Cultural Bureau: Annals of Nantou County, 2010 edition, p. 19. The North Pole of Nantou County is Pik Yuen Shan at 24 degrees and 20 min north latitude; the South Pole is Yushan at 23 degrees and 28 min north latitude; the west pole is rough pit at

Notes

14. 15.

16. 17.

18.

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

25. 26.

27.

13

120 degrees and 37 min east longitude; and the east pole is Dandan Mountain, at 121 degrees and 25 min east. According to the official Nantou County web site (https://www.nantou.gov.tw/). The earliest record of the name and geographical position of the water and sand company appeared in Ji Qiguang’s miscellaneous records of Taiwan, the first magistrate of Zhuluo County. The site of the Japanese occupation, in Nenggao County, Puli Street, Puli Dongjiajiao 51 Fandi. On January 15th the rules were revised, the Japanese language was vigorously promoted, the Chinese language subject was abolished and the use of Taiwanese by students was strictly prohibited. On February 11th the Hukou rules were amended to require Taiwanese to change all Japanese names. On February 27, 1947, Taipei anti-smuggling officers wounded cigarette sellers and shot dead passers-by, triggering a large-scale resistance, within a few days of the extension of the island, known as the “228 Incident.”. A natural village like the Chinese mainland. Lower contains natural villages, similar to the mainland of natural villages. According to the official Nantou County web site (https://www.nantou.gov.tw). The history of Nantou County, Nantou County Cultural Bureau, 2010 edition, p. 106. In the reclamation area near the front of the side of the birth, choose critical place to set up a pass, recruit a small garrison patrol, to prepare for Shengfan. The history of Nantou County, Nantou County Cultural Bureau, 2010 edition, pp. 188–191. The 33 districts in Puli have a long history. Due to the relatively complete written materials of the Zhuzaishan community (including xinan Li and Zhuge Li), this chapter focuses on the historical context and natural conditions of the Zhuzaishan community, to give you an idea of what’s going on in Puli village. Local residents believe that “A mound rising from the ground is better than the three dragons’ Den.” “Zhuzai Mountain” around the white leaves like a dragon, Lingyan Mountain for Carp Cave, accompanied by carp, Carp Yue Longmen, spit two beads into Zhuzai Mountain. This shows that the local residents of the Zhuzaishan and the recognition of Feng Shui and yearning. From the Zhuzaishan community rural regeneration plan. Together with Chen Da-yong, Guo Bai-nian and the governor of Taiwan, Huang Lin-wang, the leader of the Sandstorm Company, and others, they covet the Fertile Land of the sandstorm company and launch the “Guo bai-year reclamation incident”, burning and killing at will everywhere, the occupation of the land of the sand-and-water company displaced the original inhabitants of the sand-and-water company. https://www.cwb.gov.tw/v7/climate/monthlymean/taiwan_tx.htm (2018).

Chapter 2

Executive Branch and Autonomy of Nantou County and Township

As a system and framework for the effective operation of the government, administrative organizations not only avoid the overlapping of administrative operations, but also clarify the relationship between power and responsibility through rational division of labor and cooperation and a relatively scientific arrangement of the bureaucratic system to enhance the efficiency of administrative work. Within the entire administrative organization system, to achieve order from the top down, coordinated operation and active cooperation in dealing with public affairs are necessary to achieve the goal of effective governance. Since the implementation of local autonomy in Taiwan, Nantou County and its townships have formed an effective administrative structure to respond to and meet the public needs of the local residents.

1 Nantou County Government and Puli Town Hall 1.1 Nantou County Government Structure The Organizational Basis of the County Government According to Article 62, paragraph 2, of the Local Systems Act, “The organization of county governments shall be governed by guidelines drawn up by the competent interior authorities and submitted to the competent executive authorities for approval; the county governments shall formulate regulations on organizational self-government in accordance with the guidelines and, with the approval of the county councils, report them to the competent interior authorities for reference; the organizational rules of the organs under the county governments and schools shall be formulated by the county governments.” “The county government shall, in accordance with these guidelines, draw up regulations on organizational autonomy, which, after being adopted by the respective county councils, shall be reported to the competent interior authorities for reference; the county government shall, in accordance with these guidelines and the © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_2

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regulations on the autonomy of the respective organizations, formulate the organizational rules of the respective organs.” In 2000, Nantou County enacted and promulmend the regulations on self-government of Nantou County Government organizations. According to these regulations, a county magistrate is appointed by the county government to represent the county, administer the county, and direct and supervise the self-government of the townships under his jurisdiction. The home deputy county chief is appointed by the Xiangzhu County chief to deal with the county, the post comparable to civil servant 13 grade, appointed by the county chief, and reports to the Competent interior authorities for reference. The county government shall appoint/remove a secretary-general, who shall be appointed/removed by the head of the county in accordance with the law on the appointment of public servants. The total number of units at the first level of the Nantou County Government and their subordinate organs shall, in accordance with the provisions of the organizational guidelines for local administrative organs, be structured as follows: “In addition to the establishment of the comptroller, personnel and administrative units under the exclusive personnel management law, the total number of such units shall be as follows: [10,000 × 80% of the population of the county on December 31 of the preceding year] + [10,000 × 10% of the land area of the county on December thirty-one of the preceding year] + [10,000 × 10% of the average of the self-owned financial resources ratio of the final accounts of the county in the preceding three years].” In addition to the Personnel Office, the Accounting Office, and the Internal Affairs Office, the Nantou County Government has 15 offices, including the Civil Affairs Office, the Finance Office, the Education Office, the Construction Office, the Works Office, the Tourism Office, the Agriculture Office, the Social and Labor Office, the Lands Office, the Information and Administration Office, the Planning Office, and the Procurement Centre, apart from police, fire, health, environmental protection, taxation, culture, Aboriginal administration, and 7 other bureaus.

Organization Function and Operation of the County Government As the main body of local self-government, the Nantou County Government shall not only handle matters of county self-government as per law, but also carry out matters assigned by higher authorities and supervise matters of township (town and city) selfgovernment. Matters are resolved depending on the jurisdiction under which they fall. For instance, the Home Affairs Office is in charge of self-government administration, household administration, service administration, rites and customs, religion, funeral business, public production, etc. Finance Department oversees financial administration, public property, public debt, treasury payment, cashier, public treasury, local financial management, tobacco and alcohol management, etc. The Social and Labor Office deals with social administration, social assistance, social security, social welfare, social insurance, social work, maternal and child welfare, community development, co-operative administration, people’s organization counseling, labor administration and labor relations, vocational and employment counseling, management of migrant workers, promotion of employment of persons with disabilities,

1 Nantou County Government and Puli Town Hall

17

voluntary service, etc. In addition to each department or Bureau in charge of related affairs, the Nantou County Government may, in accordance with regulations, entrust a part of its power to non-governmental organizations or individuals to handle any business that cannot be handled by any Department or Bureau. In such cases, the county magistrate may designate relevant units to handle the business. Daily work is to be carried out normally by each branch, or bureau, in accordance with the established division of labor and procedures. To ensure that this work is done as scheduled, the county magistrate holds regular meetings on county affairs. In addition to the county magistrate, the deputy county magistrate, the secretary-general, the senator, the secretary, the Consumer Protection Officer, the director of each department, the head of the organ at the level to which the county magistrate belongs, and the person designated by the county magistrate, when necessary, the magistrate may invite or designate other persons concerned to be present at these meetings. At County Council meetings, in addition to working reports and reviews, the scope of the discussion mainly covers matters concerning county autonomy, matters referred by the county chief, cases submitted to the county council for consideration, laws and regulations concerning county autonomy, and other important matters concerning county administration, etc. Resolutions on all matters discussed shall be approved and handled by the county magistrate.

Selection and Staffing of County Governments In accordance with the provisions of the law on local systems and the guidelines for the organization of local executive branch, there are clear provisions on the staffing of Nantou County Government: “The head of a unit at the county level and the head of an organ at the level to which he belongs shall be appointed or removed, except for the head or head of the controller, personnel, police, tax, and administrative conduct, who shall be appointed or removed in accordance with the laws governing the exclusive administration of personnel, one half of the total number of whom shall be included in the list of administrative posts, and their posts shall be appointed or removed by the county head in accordance with the law” A unit at the level of a county government or its subordinate organ at the level of a county government may, with the exception of a police organ which may appoint one to three deputy heads, place at least 20 deputy heads, and assist the head or deputy head in handling affairs, who shall be appointed or removed by the county chief in accordance with the law on the appointment of public servants or the laws on the exclusive management of personnel.” On October 21, 1950, after Nantou County seceded from Taizhong County, in accordance with the “Outline for the implementation of local self-government in Taiwan Province counties and cities,” the “Law on the election and dismissal of public officials” and the “Rules for the implementation of the law on the election and dismissal of public officials,” the county chief shall no longer be appointed by the

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2 Executive Branch and Autonomy of Nantou County and Township

provincial government; there have been 17 sessions so far (see Table 1). According to the outline of local self-government, the term of office of the county chief shall be changed from three years to four years from the fourth term, and they shall be re-elected but not more than once. Lin Mingzhen, a member of the Kuomintang, is now the county magistrate. The deputy county chief and the secretary-general are appointed by the county chief. The deputy county magistrate, as an administrative officer, leaves office with the county magistrate when he steps down, resigns, or dies. The secretary-general, also known as the Chief of Staff, handles county affairs under the orders of the county chief and deputy county chief. In addition, in the county government department, in the Bureau of the relevant persons in charge, 50% of the proportion of the county staff are appointed/removed in accordance with the “Local System Law.” The deputy officers of the Department and Bureau shall be selected, appointed, and removed by the officers-in-charge of each Department and Bureau. Other general civil servants have to take the civil services examination conducted by the Examination Institute for unified recruitment.

1.2 Organizational Structure of Puli Town Hall The Organizational Basis of Puli Town Hall According to Item 4 of Article 62 of the local system law, on the one hand, the Competent interior authorities of Taiwan shall formulate guidelines for the organizations to be established by township (town, City) public offices; on the other hand, each township (town, City) public office shall draw up organizational self-government regulations in accordance with the guidelines, and after approval by the township (town, City) People’s Congress, report to the county government for reference. The organizational rules of the organs to which the township (town, City) public office belongs shall be determined by the township (town, City) public office. Paragraph 1 and paragraph 3 of Article 19 provide the “Guidelines for the organization of local executive branch,” “The township (town, city) office has a head of the township (town, city), who represents the township (town, city) externally and comprehensively manages the township (town, city) administration.” “If the population of a township (town or city) is more than 60,000 and less than 100,000, there will be one chief secretary, one secretary, and one commissioner.” For Puli Town office, which has 80,000 town residents, a director secretary, a secretary and a commissioner may be established in accordance with the provisions. As an elected public official (administrative officer), the mayor of Puli may appoint or remove the principal secretary, secretary, and commissioner in accordance with the law. Since the implementation of local self-government in the 1950s, the people of Puli have so far elected 17 mayors (see Table 2).

1 Nantou County Government and Puli Town Hall

19

Table 1 The elected governors of Nantou County Sectors Name

Political parties

Term of office

1

Li guozhen

Kuomintang

1951.06.01–1954.06.02 Reporter of Taiwan First elected newspaper, Datun magistrate District, List of county magistrates of Nantou

2

Li guozhen

Kuomintang

1954.06.02–1957.06.02 Reporter of Taiwan newspaper, Datun District, List of county magistrates of Nantou

3

Hong qiaorong

Kuomintang

1957.06.02–1960.06.02 Director of the Provincial Taizhong Commercial Vocational School Provincial Education Department Inspection, List of county magistrates of Nantou

4

Hong qiaorong

Kuomintang

1960.06.02–1964.06.02 Director of the Provincial Taizhong Commercial Vocational School, Provincial Education Department inspection, List of county magistrates of Nantou

5

Yang Zhaobi

Kuomintang

1964.06.02–1966.11.06 Deputy Speaker of County Council, County Police and People’s Association manager the List of county magistrates of Nantou

6

Lin yanggang

Kuomintang

1967.02.01–1968.06.02 Secretary of County Government, Secretary of Provincial Government,Chairman of the KMT party department of Yunlin County, the List of county magistrates of Nantou

Experience

Notes

Died November 6,1955

(continued)

20

2 Executive Branch and Autonomy of Nantou County and Township

Table 1 (continued) Sectors Name

Political parties

Term of office

Experience

Kuomintang

1968.06.02–1972.06.16 Secretary of County Government, Secretary of Provincial Government, Chairman of the KMT party department of Yunlin County,the List of county magistrates of Nantou

7

Lin yanggang

8

Liu yuyou Kuomintang

1973.02.01–1977.12.20 Director of the KMT County Party Department, Provincial Party Committee Director General, List of county magistrates of Nantou

9

Liu yuyou Kuomintang

1977.12.20–1981.12.05 Director of the KMT County Party Department, Provincial Party Committee Director General, List of county magistrates of Nantou

10

Wu Dunyi Kuomintang

1981.12.20–1985.12.20 China Times reporter, lead writer, Taipei Senators, List of county magistrates of Nantou

Notes June 16,1972 Director of the Civil Affairs Department of the Government of Taiwan Province Secretary of Shuwen acting as county magistrate

1981.12.05 Director of the Civil Affairs Department of the Taiwan Provincial Government, 1981.12.08. The post of super-acting county magistrate By chief secretary Meng fanchao

(continued)

1 Nantou County Government and Puli Town Hall

21

Table 1 (continued) Sectors Name

Political parties

Term of office

Experience

Notes

11

Wu Dunyi Kuomintang

1985.12.20–1989.12.20 China Times reporter, lead writer, Taipei Senators, List of county magistrates of Nantou

12

Lin Kuomintang Yuan-lang

1989.12.20–1993.12.20 Teachers, deputies to the National Assembly, Legislators Staff, List of county magistrates of Nantou

13

Lin Kuomintang Yuan-lang

1993.12.20–1997.12.20 Teachers, deputies to the National Assembly, Legislators Staff, List of county magistrates of Nantou

14

Peng baixian

No party → The new national connection

1997.12.20–2001.12.20 Cooperative Treasury Clerk, Ministry of Finance, Small Research Fellow, associate professor, Competent legislative authorities List of county magistrates of Nantou

April 11, 2000, suspended by deputy County magistrate Lai yingfang acting county magistrate, Reinstated January 13, 2001

15

Lin zongnan

Democratic Progressive Party → No party

2001.12.20–2005.12.20 Teacher, lecturer, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, South Democratic Progressive Party chairman, Caotun Eighth, ninth, tenth provincial councilor, 4 Taiwan legislator List of county magistrates of Nantou

The first elected County of the Democratic Progressive Party

16

Li chaoqing

Kuomintang

2005.12.20–2009.12.20 County Councilor, Junior Chamber International Senator, Mayor of Nantou City, the List of county magistrates of Nantou (continued)

22

2 Executive Branch and Autonomy of Nantou County and Township

Table 1 (continued) Sectors Name

Political parties

Term of office

17

Li chaoqing

Kuomintang

2009.12.20–2014.12.25 County Councilor, Junior Chamber International Senator, Mayor of Nantou City, the List of county magistrates of Nantou

Local public officers in late 2014 the 7-in-1 election will be held in accordance with County (City) elected at the end of 2009 Extension of the term of office for a period of one year and five days, Suspended on November 30, 2012, by Deputy County Magistrate Chen zhiqing acting county magistrate

18

Lin Kuomintang Mingzhen

2014.12.25

Current List of county magistrates of Nantou

Experience

Taiwan legislator (7th, 8th), south Head of Tourism Bureau of Nantou County Government, 15th county councilor, Jiji Township 11th, 12-term mayor, Taiwan Province City Planning Commission The committee will recommend him as a technician to the Taiwan Provincial Government Set-up artificer

Source Official Nantou County Government website (accessed November 4, 2018)

Notes

1 Nantou County Government and Puli Town Hall

23

Table 2 List of mayors of Puli Sectors

Name

Term of office

Sectors

Name

Term of office

1

Yu Ruiyuan

1951–1953

10

Ma Rongji

1986–1990

2

Wu Chongxing

1953–1956

11

Cai hexian

1990–1994

3

Wu Chongxing

1956–1959

12

Zhang Hongming

1994–1998

4

Yu Ruiyuan

1960–1964

13

Zhang Hongming

1998–2002

5

Bai Jinzhang

1964–1968

14

Ma Wenjun

2002–2006

6

Bai Jinzhang

1968–1973

15

Ma Wenjun

2006–2010

7

Zhou xianwen

1973–1977

16

Zhou yixiong

2010–2014

8

Zhou xianwen

1977–1982

17

Zhou yixiong

2014–2018

9

Ma Rongji

1982–1986

18

Liao zhicheng

2018–2022

Organization Function and Operation of Puli Town Hall In accordance with Article 20, Paragraph 4, of the local executive branch code, “The population of townships (towns, cities) and mountainous indigenous areas is over 30,000, and those under 100,000 are not allowed to exceed nine classes and rooms.” Based on a population size of more than 80,000, in the Puli Town office, under the director’s secretary, there are five sections, namely, the civil affairs section, the finance section, the public works section, the agricultural observation section, and the social section, as well as the kindergarten, the library, the self-government enterprise management institute, the cleaning team, and the mediation committee of five subsidiary organizations. Another secretary and commissioner are also appointed to assist the secretary-general command, for supervision and management of confidential information, coordination, draft verification, and other matters. Other administrative organizations shall be responsible for their own affairs and carry out relevant administrative affairs on the basis of the established tasks. For example, the civil affairs section is mainly responsible for matters relating to self-government administration, mediation administration, labor administration, land administration, etiquette and custom religion, sacrificial offering to public enterprises, infrastructure projects, mutual help, village business, public production, environmental health administration, legal system, state compensation, education and culture, civil defense, cemetery management, etc. The finance section is mainly responsible for financial administration, public property, and public treasury cashier, and for assistance in tax collection and related matters. To promote the work of the Town Hall, the mayor of Puli regularly convenes and presides over town affairs meetings and may convene ad hoc meetings when necessary. If the mayor is unable to attend a meeting for any reason, the secretary of the mayor shall be the chairman. In the regular town affairs meeting, among those present are usually the mayor, Director Secretary, Section Chief, Director, Secretary, and the head of the organ. If the mayor deems it necessary, he may invite the chief of the district or other persons concerned to be present. Discussions at the Puli Town

24

2 Executive Branch and Autonomy of Nantou County and Township

Hall meetings mostly focus on “Governance plan and budget,” “Town statute and selfgovernment rules,” “Other cases to be considered by the town people’s Congress,” “Puli Town office and the organization of its subsidiary organs to make adjustments,” “Related to the common relationship between the various units or subsidiary organs,” “Matters to be discussed by the mayor as well as other important matters related to town administration.” At the same time, if the administrative capacity of the town office is limited, the mayor may entrust an academic unit, institution, or individual to carry out the relevant business, or may establish committees in accordance with relevant regulations to carry out statutory matters. The mayor may also invite each unit in charge to set up a liaison meeting to report.

2 The Election of the Heads of Government of the Towns and Cities of Nantou County 2.1 Election of Local Executive Heads at the County and Township Levels Candidate Criteria Basic requirements. According to the law on elections and strikes, candidates for mayors and County (City) chiefs must be at least 30 years old, and candidates for chiefs of townships (towns, cities) and indigenous communities must be at least twenty-six. The final cut-off date before the voting date shall be the day for determining age of the candidate, calculated based on the time of residence as registered in the household register. Since public officials come from the civil society, especially village chiefs who are mostly residents over the age of 50, and their level of education varies, there is no mandatory requirement for academic qualifications in the election of public officials. However, judging from the educational qualifications of the candidates running in recent years, the higher the position, the higher the educational qualifications. In the village elections in Puli, a master’s or PhD is also a rallying point for candidates. Party recommendation. For political parties established by law, candidates may be recommended for election to public office. A candidate recommended by a political party must be a member of that party and submit a duly qualified party recommendation before the deadline for application for registration. In general, to seek to govern and enhance the political influence of political parties, on the one hand, in constituencies with full nominations, party members who have not been nominated cannot stand for elections. On the other hand, a comprehensive examination of the candidates’ abilities and influence may also be considered. If voting is conducted within the party first and the poll is conducted later, the weight of the two will be 3:7. Considering factors such as regional characteristics and election assessment, and the

2 The Election of the Heads of Government of the Towns and Cities …

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vetting process after the nomination, the two parties will come up with recommendations on the election method and the nomination list. When there were no “polls,” but only primaries, there were “pocket members”1 to ensure each party’s share of the vote. Protest polls are unfair, party members burn party cards2 On the 8th, 2018, the Democratic Progressive Party’s Nantou County Party headquarters convened an executive committee to announce the names of the second wave of nominees for township mayors and county councilors. Huang Zhengnan (second from the right), the representative of Puli Township people, who is also the executive committee of the county party headquarters, accompanied by his supporters, went to the party headquarters to burn the party cards, protesting that the County Councilor Fifth District polls were unfair, and announced his withdrawal from the party. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had nominated three members from Nantou County’s fifth constituency, but it was a five-member race, and the party launched a polling mechanism. Wong said that according to the rules of the game, the telephone polling time should be strictly between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on December 26, but the polling center delayed the time by half an hour, until 10.30 p.m. the same day, and in the end he lost by a hair’s breadth, strongly suspecting mischief in the black-box work. He had asked the party headquarters to be given access to the recordings of the interviewees, to clarify whether the work is fair, but the party headquarters and the poll center tried to pass the buck to each other, and hence, his supporters and he did not accept the results of the polling. Tseng Chung-hoi, the DPP’s chief executive in Nantou County, said that according to the executive points of the competent executive authorities party office’s poll, the poll must reach 1068 or more, and because the sample size was not enough at 10 p.m. that day, it had to be extended by half an hour; however, if the number of telephone calls made after 10 a.m. were deducted, Wong would still lose, and that the polling process was open to all candidates. This was in line with the principles of fairness, openness, and transparency.

Negative condition. According to the provisions of the law on elections and strikes, candidates cannot be registered under the following situations: if they have been sentenced for an offense, if their sentences have not been carried out or not been completed, if their sentences have been decided based on security measures or disciplinary measures, the execution of which has not been completed, if their bankruptcy has not been overcome, if their appointment to or suspension of service has not expired, if their power has not been reinstated, and if their guardianship or auxiliary declaration has been revoked. Further, soldiers on active duty, men serving in alternative service on active duty, students in military schools, members of election committees at all levels, supervisors, staff members, electoral officers of township (town, city, district) offices, and staff members of polling and polling stations shall not be registered as candidates.

Campaign Finance Outlay. Due to the large amount of funds needed for regular elections to ensure smooth, free, impartial, and fair elections and impartiality of political campaigns,

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the “Election and Strike Law” was introduced in Taiwan, whereby the upper limit of the margin requirements for candidates running for election are clearly defined, as are limits on the amount of funds available for the election of different types of public officials. For example, in the 2018 nine-in-one election, the Competent executive authorities Competent election authorities in Taiwan set a margin of NT $200,000 per person for county governors and a ceiling of NT $39,643,000 for campaign funds.3 In Nantou County, the Competent election authorities requires a deposit of NT $120,000 per person for the election of mayors, and NT $50,000 per person for the election of civic representatives and village chiefs.4 If a candidate loses the election, the margin will be forfeited if the candidate does not get more than onetenth of the total number of electors in the constituency. Meanwhile, the slogans, billboards, and other promotional materials used for the campaign, the remuneration for hiring staff, and giving gifts of less than NT $30 a piece, etc., are considered the “cost of silence,” which is hard to recover. “Billboard culture” In Taiwan, candidates running for public office make and hang their own billboards (known locally as “Billboards”), as well as go door-to-door every day. Through billboards, the candidates not only sell themselves as handsome and project a beautiful image, so that more voters know who they are, but also share their political views so that more voters recognize them. To let the people in the constituency know and understand candidates’ views, billboards have become an important media to promote candidates. To this end, a number of public office candidates place billboards in downtown areas, intersections, and other more prominent positions. In particular, when all public service candidates value the effectiveness of billboards, multiple public service candidates of the same type enter the “billboard contest.” In addition to production and installation costs, each billboard also has a more expensive component – “Rent.” To ensure public safety or traffic order, the “Election Recall Law” stipulates that, “Political parties and no one shall hang or erect banners, billboards, flags, and banners; remove all advertisements from roads, bridges, parks, institutions, schools, or other public facilities and their sites.” The billboards of candidates for public office can be placed only on the exteriors of walls of private houses, or on private land, all of which are subject to rent. According to the market in Puli, depending on the location, billboard size varies, the monthly rental costs range from several thousand yuan to tens of thousands of Taiwan dollars. At T $10,000 per month, the annual rent would be T $120,000 per unit. If 10 yuan is hung in the constituency, the rental fee alone is NT $1.2 million. Of course, there are individual candidates for public office who have a wide network of contacts, and some billboards do not require rental, but these “costs” will be covered in other forms of “debt service” after their election. In many places, billboard advertising has become the public official campaign funds among the larger expenditure items.

Outlay income. Owing to the large amount of money involved in campaigning for public office, especially for the first time, many candidates have relatively large assets or industries in their families or have a wide network of contacts or a large number of followers, who can help raise “political contributions.” To avoid any links between political contribution and benefit transmission or political corruption, the “Political Contribution Law” was introduced in Taiwan; this law limits the amount, method, and provider of political contribution. According to statistics, Lin Mingzhen received NT $4,675,8077 in political donations during the 2014 “Nine-in-one” election for the

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county magistrate in Nantou. In the county elections of that year, Deputy Speaker Pan Yiquan of Puli Town received a political contribution of NT $50,000 and Councilor Wang Caiyun received NT $150,009.5 At the same time, according to Articles 42 and 43 of the law on election and strike, “The election expenses of a candidate shall be deducted from the maximum amount of the election expenses provided for in the preceding article from the political contribution and the government subsidy to the election expenses provided for in article forty-three and may be itemized as the annual deduction on the polling day when the consolidated income tax is declared.” In addition to the national non-regional and Overseas Chinese Taiwan legislator elections, if the candidate is elected by one person and has obtained more than onethird of the votes cast in the respective electoral district, and if the candidate has obtained the support of more than two persons and has obtained more than one-half of the votes cast in the respective electoral district, the election expenses shall be subsidized by NT $30 per vote. However, the maximum amount shall not exceed the maximum amount of campaign funds for the candidates of the respective electoral district.”

Campaign Campaign office. To ensure order in normal times, Article 44 of the “Law on Election and Dismissal” (hereinafter referred to as the “Law on Election and Dismissal”), promulmend by the Competent executive authorities Competent election authorities of the Taiwan region, stipulates that, “A candidate may, during his or her election campaign, set up a campaign office in his or her electoral district; if he or she has set up two or more campaign offices, he or she shall designate a person to be in charge of all the other offices except the main office, and shall register the address and the name of the person-in-charge of each office with the election committee that has accepted the registration. The candidate’s election office shall not be set up in an organ (organization), a school, a people’s organization established according to law, or a place often designated as a polling place, a polling place, or any other public place. The “Election Committee” sent out two special letters of explanation6 : first, it is clear that “The office in the village is a public place, and if a candidate is to run for office in the office, the office should be reported to the office in the other appropriate places. Consider village offices as office space.” Second, the temple of all the general activities should be regarded as a public place, and, in accordance with the law, it shall not set up as an election office failing which,7 it would be considered illegal and could face a fine of NT $100,000 to NT $1,000,000. Governor seeks re-election, home becomes election office, 31 Li-offices moved into the office8 Some village chiefs in the county have their own offices as village offices, and during the election period they become campaign offices. Fearing that public and private affairs could become mixed and thus violate the “Law on Election and Dismissal,” the county election committee requested the public office to make an inventory, and get it done before the village chief ran for office. Puli public office was temporarily moved to a joint office of the Civil

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2 Executive Branch and Autonomy of Nantou County and Township Affairs section. Some people questioned this move, calling it unnecessary, but some local governors supported the decision calling the election period a sensitive time when one must exercise caution. According to article 44 of the “Law on Elections and Strikes,” the Puli public office announced that candidates running for office shall not use any office within an organ (institution), a school, a people’s organization established according to law, or a place regularly designated as a polling station, a polling place, or any other public place as a public office. Li’s office is treated like a public office and hence cannot be used; or a fine of NT $100,000 to one million must be imposed. To avoid a dispute, the Puli Kung Pao asked the district office of the county government for approval. From yesterday to the November 29 election polling day, in addition to Niumian li not running for re-election, Pipa Li set up another election headquarters to stand for election as the town’s People’s representative, the remaining thirty-one Li of the offices were temporarily relocated to the civil affairs section of the joint office. In the past, the Puli public office said, because some of the sites did not have local assembly centers, community activity centers, or because public facilities were inadequate, the thirtythree-mile-long site has long been used as an office, and moreover, it is easy to find people when you need them, even during an election. As a result, the district office, which was located in the District Chief’s residence, was temporarily moved to the civil affairs section during the election period, and the district chief expressed his willingness to cooperate. From the 8th day of the month, many chiefs will use their residences to set up campaign offices.

People’s thoughts. They consider this unnecessary. It is difficult to completely cut off the relationship between the Governor’s election campaign and serving the local people. People have needs for village construction, or may need to negotiate with the governor’s family, and the absence of an office in the governor’s family does not affect them at all. They feel what the town hall is doing is unnecessary. Campaign worker. In order to regulate the conduct of election of public officials, Article 6 of the abolished “Measures for the establishment of candidates for election as election assistants for public officials” clearly stipulates the number of candidates for election assistants for public officials at all levels: “In the election of county (City) councilors, each candidate shall have twenty persons; in the election of county (City) mayors, each candidate shall have twenty-five persons; in the election of People’s representatives of townships (towns and cities), each candidate shall have ten persons; in the election of the mayor of townships (towns and cities), each candidate shall have fifteen persons; and in the election of village chiefs, each candidate shall have three persons.” After the abolition of these measures, public officials and those associated with the vote are explicitly prohibited from being “platforms” for candidates. For example, Article 50 of the law on election and recall stipulates that “Organs of the competent executive authorities and local governments at all levels shall not engage in any activity related to election or recall propaganda during election campaigns or recall activities of public officials”; Article 45 provides that, “Members of election committees at all levels, supervisors, staff members and election personnel in township (town, city or district) offices who handle election matters may not make public speeches or put their names forward as candidates to publicize or support or oppose the recall of a candidate after the announcement of the election or the receipt of a proposal for recall. They may not stand on the platform or make public appearances for or support or oppose the recall of a candidate …”.

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Street sweepers, please. In order to have “Zero-distance” contact with voters, candidates for public office are swept through the streets within a month before voting. Especially in the key areas of the constituency, such as busy markets, temples, crossroads, markets, etc., or through walking street sweeping, and bustling crowds of people walk in front of each other, shake hands with passers-by, bow, give legally allowed small gifts (worth less than T $30), or sweep the streets in motorcades to cover much or all of the constituency with their political views. “Street Culture”9 Every election is lively, far livelier than the Spring Festival. No matter what kind of public officials are running for election, in their constituencies, especially the key constituencies, candidates organize their own election aides to carry out “Street sweeping activities.” The so-called street sweeping does not mean that a candidate would take a broom and dustpan to the street, but that they go in key areas and key streets door-to-door seeking votes. Generally, two types of street sweeping can be observed: on foot and in a motorcade. The so-called street sweeping on foot means that the candidate mobilizes his family and his campaign team to walk step by step along the road, market by market, and temple by temple, wave, bow, and shake hands with the crowd as they pass. The strength of a candidate’s handshake, the look on his face, and the amount of time spent making eye contact can give a rough indication of whether the candidate is greeting a supporter. In the process of street sweeping, whenever the voters bring various kinds of food, the candidates do not miss the opportunity to interact with the voters at close distance, do not hesitate to eat in public, and put on a happy expression, to win over the voters. For a street sweeper, there’s lot more. In the case of street sweeping, it involves route planning, not only to lively local places, but also to places that are not in wilderness or are sparsely populated. In the arrangement of the motorcade, not only should the identification number of the candidate be hung in a conspicuous position, but also a guide car should be arranged in front of the candidate’s unroofed jeep. On the one hand, the road sweeping route should be ensured, and on the other hand, the speed of the vehicle should be controlled so that when the need is to move fast, the vehicle needs to move fast and the opposite, move slow when slow is needed. If it’s slow, it’s slow. Candidates stand in headless jeeps to greet voters or to shout out their visions or ambitions. In addition, a publicity vehicle equipped with a high-power horn is also organized to repeat the content of the publicity materials. Since such propaganda can create disturbance, the “Election Strike Law” stipulates that election campaign activities during the election month be limited to between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily.

2.2 Removal of the Heads of Local Administration at the County and Town Levels The Proposal for the Dismissal of the Heads of Local Administrations at the County and Township Levels To remove voter dissatisfaction with unpopular or malfeasant officials, the “Election and Recall Law” has special provisions for their election/recall. A public official who has completed one year of service may be removed from office by the Competent election authorities if the Elector of the original electoral district is not satisfied with

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their administrative conduct. However, an active-duty soldier, an active-duty male, or a public servant serving in alternative service may not be the proposer of a recall case. According to the “Law on Election and Recall,” a single person, the leader, who proposes the removal of a public official, must be the elector of the original electoral district of the person who is to be removed. A proposal for recall submitted to the Competent election authorities shall not exceed 5000 words, together with a copy of the original and a copy of the reasons for recall and a list of the proposers10 (one original and one copy each). The minimum number of proposers shall be more than 1% of the total number of electors in the original electoral district.

Procedure for the Removal of Local Executive Heads at the District and Town Levels When the Competent election authorities receives a recall proposal, it checks the authenticity of the list of proposers within 25 days. If the required number is met, the leader of the proposal for removal can be notified by letter. Upon receipt of the notification, the leader shall collect the list of co-signers within 10 days and complete the co-signer list within the given time. For example, the co-signature of the county magistrate’s recall is limited to 60 days, the co-signature of the County Councilor’s recall is limited to 40 days, and the co-signature of the township representative’s recall is limited to 20 days. When signing a joint signature, not only must it be filled out strictly in accordance with the specific requirements of the joint signature register, but also the number of co-signers should be guaranteed to reach more than 10% of the total number of electors in the original electoral district. When a proposer cannot be a co-signer, their list shall be counted separately from that of the co-signers. When the Electoral Commission receives the roster of co-signers of a recall case, the verification of the roster of co-signers shall be completed within the stipulated time. While the county magistrate is given 40 days to depose, the county councilors and the town mayor are to depose within 20 days, and the town representatives and the village chief are to depose within 15 days. If the list of co-signers is verified correctly, the Competent election authorities will declare the case established and send a copy of the reasons for the recall to the deposed person. The deposed person shall have the right to reply and submit a written reply not exceeding 10,000 words within 10 days. The relevant announcement of the recall voting shall be announced within 5 days after the Competent election authorities receives the expiration of the written reply of the deposed person.

Recall of Local Executive Heads at the County and Township Levels Unlike voting in an election, the place of recall voting cannot be set up in an organ (institution), a school, a body established according to law, a place often designated as a polling place, a place where votes are cast, or any other public place. The

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establishment of the recall office and its personnel and the measures for soliciting joint signatures shall be determined by the Election Committee. At the same time, the Electoral Commission organizes a public television recall briefing and invites the proposed leaders and the deposed persons to present their statements. However, if they do not wish to present their statements, they are exempt from doing so. After the close of the voting, if the number of votes validly consenting to the recall exceeds the number of votes not consenting, and the number of votes consenting exceeds one quarter of the total number of electors in the original electoral district, the vote shall be adopted. If the number of valid recall votes does not exceed the number of approval votes or the number of approval votes is less than one quarter of the total number of electors in the original electoral district, it shall be rejected.

2.3 Disciplinary Action and By-Election of Local Executive Heads at the County and Township Levels Discipline and Designation of Local Executive Heads at the District and Town Levels Chasten: To ensure fairness and openness of the local election, the local system law and the election and strike law have clear stipulations on election behavior and administration process of public officials and civil servants. No interference is tolerated in the personnel or operations of the Electoral Commission and the use or misappropriation of public funds for the purpose of campaigning. If an incumbent of the public service who is registered as a candidate refuses without just cause to assist the electoral commission in its work or requests for personnel, requiring the bodies under their command or under their supervision and the heads of the bodies concerned to support the election campaign and to use their functions and powers to make personnel arrangements for the election campaign, etc., if the election committee ascertains that the facts are true, the competent authority of each person shall be notified to suspend the concerned official from his or her duties and deal with him or her according to law. Where any public official, such as the head of a county (City), a township (town, City), or a village (town), is suspected of committing a crime that results in internal disturbance, foreign aggression, corruption, or disrupting prevention and control of crime, the mandatory sentence is death, life imprisonment or, at the very least, a fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years. They may also face detention or arrest in connection with criminal proceedings, or detention pursuant to the provisions of the regulations on the prosecution of hooligans, as decreed by the “Competent executive authorities,” “Competent interior authorities,” the county government, township (town, city, District) office, and be suspended from their functions. The person shall be reinstated before the expiry of his term of office, except in cases where he has been suspended under civil disorder, foreign aggression, corruption offences ordinance, or under the prevention and control of

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Organized Crime Ordinance. In the course of the election of a public official, if a person entitled to vote is paid a bribe or provided any other improper advantage, which affects their voting behavior, the candidate shall be punished by a penalty according to the seriousness of the circumstances or shall be directly suspended from office. For example, in January 2012, 14 of the town’s 27 township chiefs, such as Vivian Lai and Jian Hong, were summoned by prosecutors on suspicion of receiving NT $50,000 each in cash as election bribes.11 Assign: When the mayor of the municipality directly under the competent administrative authorities, the mayor of the county (City), the mayor of the township (town, City), and the mayor of the village (sub-district) resign or die, the mayor of the municipality directly under the Competent administrative authorities shall be represented by a representative of the “Competent executive authorities.” The head of a county (City) shall be reported by the Competent interior authorities to the Competent executive authorities for representation; the head of a township (town, City) shall be represented by a representative of the county government; and the head of a village (town, city, District) shall be represented by a representative of the township (town, District) office. When a county (City) mayor is suspended, the deputy county (City) mayor acts for him; if the deputy county (City) mayor is absent or unable to act for him, the Competent interior authorities shall report to the Competent executive authorities for representation. The suspension of a township (town, City) mayor shall be represented by a representative of the county government. Where the village (local) chief is suspended, the township (town, city, District) public office shall appoint an agent to act for him. If the mayor of a municipality, County (City), township (town, City), or village (sub-district) resigns or dies, a by-election shall be completed within three months from the date of the event. If the term of office of the successor is less than two years, he shall not be re-elected and shall be represented by an agent until the term of office expires. For example, Lin yanggang, the 6th county magistrate of Nantou County, stepped down on June 16, 1972. He was promoted to the position of Director of Civil Affairs of the Taiwan Provincial Government and was deputized by the chief secretary, Ou shuwen. The 8th county magistrate, Liu yuyou, stepped down on December 5, 1981, and was replaced by Meng Fan-chao, the Chief Secretary of the Taiwan Provincial Government. Peng baixian, the 13th county magistrate, was suspended on November 4, 2000, and deputy county magistrate Lai yingfang acted as the county magistrate. He was finally reinstated on January 13, 2001. Likewise, Li chaoqing, the 16th County Chief, was suspended on November 30, 2012, and deputy county chief Chen zhiqing took over.

Re-Election of Local Executive Heads at the County and Township Levels According to the local system law, “The mayor of a municipality directly under the competent administrative authorities, the mayor of a county (City), the mayor of a township (town, City), or the mayor of a village (sub-district) shall be removed from office by the procedure prescribed in paragraph 1 of the preceding article if, because of serious illness, he or she is unable to continue to perform his or her duties for

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more than one year, or for any reason for more than six months.” “If a candidate for the election of a regional or municipal mayor or a county (city) mayor dies between the closing date of registration and the date of the election, the Election Committee shall immediately announce the suspension of the election in that electoral district and hold a re-election on a regular basis. In the event the number of candidates for the election does not exceed or falls short of the number of places for which the election is to be held because of the death of the candidate, from the close of the registration of candidates for the election of other public officers to the polling day before the election, the election shall be immediately declared closed and shall be re-held on a regular basis; it shall be completed within three months from the date of death of the candidate or from the date of receipt by the Electoral Commission of the certificate of definitive judgment of the court. At the same time, when the elected person of the head of a county (City), township (town, City), or indigenous community or village (town) dies before taking office or is determined by a ruling to be invalid before taking office, a new election shall be held within three months from the date of death or from the date of receipt by the Electoral Commission of the Certificate of confirmation of the judgment of the court. In addition, the vote on the recall case shall be completed within 20–60 days after the recall case is announced. Other elections, if any, shall be held at the same time. If the deposed person is also a candidate, a separate recall vote shall be held within 60 days of the announcement of the establishment of the recall case. If the deposed person dies, resigns, or resigns before the polling day, the Competent election authorities shall immediately declare that the deposed vote shall cease. Hualian County Xiulin Township 4 years after 6 township heads12 Chinanews.com, October 12. According to a report in Taiwan’s “China Times,” less than 50 days have passed since the vote on November 24 in Taiwan’s “Nine in one” election. Hualian County Xiulin Township ushered in the sixth head in four years, of which the longest term was no more than 9 months and the shortest, 52 days. Li chunfeng, the 17th head of Xiulin Township in Hualian County, was indicted three years ago for bribery in an election. He was forced to resign “in a flash” and was replaced by Wang guozhou as the acting head of the township. Wang guozhou was secretary of the county government. Li chunfeng was later elected head of the township in a by-election, but was dismissed in a court case last August, and the county government appointed Cai ruiguang to act as the township head. In May, Cai ruiguang was replaced by Li jisheng as head of the township on the grounds that he was “concentrating on the election campaign.” Li jisheng is one of 16 people involved in a land tax evasion case in Hualian County, according to the grounds of Appeal announced by Hualian’s prosecutor’s office. Not long after, Hualian County government issued news about the Xiulin Township head, Cai guanghui took over as the current 6th Xiulin Township head. The handover ceremony of Xiulin the 17th ’s Sixth Township head was held on October 11, and the new acting township head Cai guanghui had a term of only 2 months remaining.

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3 The Content of Self-Government of Nantou County Town 3.1 Matters of Self-Government of the Nantou County Government Article 19 of the law on local systems stipulates that there are as many as twelve items of county (City) autonomy, such as organization and administration, finance, social services, education, culture and sports, labor administration, urban planning and construction, economic services, water conservancy, sanitation and environmental protection, transportation and tourism, public safety, business operation and management, etc. In addition to the Personnel Office, the Accounting Office, and the Internal Affairs office set up by the “One whip,” of the Nantou County Government shall, in accordance with the specific circumstances of the county, establish 12 branches, namely, the District Office, the Finance Office, the Education Office, the Construction Office, the Works Office, the Tourism Office, the Agriculture Office, the Social and Labor Office, the Lands Office, the Information and Administration Office, the Planning Office, and the Procurement Centre. From the current organizational structure, the organization and functional arrangement reflects the “structurefunctionalism” characteristics. According to the contents and characteristics of the work of the various functional departments of the Nantou County Government, the following characteristics emerge.

Mentoring and Coaching The governing body of the Nantou County Government has not only 13 autonomous units of township public offices within its jurisdiction, but also county farmers’ associations, Farm Irrigation Associations, Sun Moon Lake fishing associations, several township farmers’ associations, and other self-governing social organizations. To ensure the healthy and orderly operation of the county level self-government and self-government groups, the Nantou County Government provides targeted standard guidance, technical guidance, policy guidance, and operational guidance to different types of self-government groups. Standard guidance mainly ensures that the mountain slope planting beautifies and strengthens the slope stability, implements the construction standard guidance in construction. It also provides guidance to dairy farmers in the production and operation of herbivores (cattle, sheep, and deer) to ensure good quality production; it guides the training of farmers’ second specialty and the work of agricultural extension and education to improve the quality and ability of farmers. In the field of business coaching, the Civil Affairs Office provides guidance to the business of the town representative meetings, the business of the town public building, the organization and construction of temples and churches (churches), religious activities, rituals, and customs, various sacrificial ceremonies (the Yanping County King, the martyr’s shrine spring and autumn second sacrifice, the Wu Sheng Guan Yu, the

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Confucius Confucius, Mona Rudao), and the public service of offering guidance and sacrifice. The finance department provides guidance to the finance business of the townships, the management business of the tobacco and alcohol business under the county level, and the business of the credit union under the county level. The Public Works Department counsels the Farmland Water Conservancy Association, and the Lands Department counsels the real estate brokerage business. In terms of policy guidance, the Education Department provides guidance to educational consortia, and the Social and Labour Department provides guidance to community development and the construction of people’s organizations and charitable foundations for the social welfare of consortia. It also ensures that people’s organizations and legal entities can be established in accordance with laws and regulations and operate better under the established legal framework and provide value. In terms of technical guidance, the Agriculture Department provides guidance on the establishment of livestock farms and the registration of livestock farms. It supports agricultural production technology, such as herbivore (cattle, sheep, deer) production and management, poultry production management, livestock insurance, aquatic production, the production and promotion of various garden specialty crops, and provides grain (including coarse grains) guidance. Farmers’ associations are also provided leisure agriculture zoning plans, leisure agriculture counseling plans, and development of local agricultural industry culture plan, leisure farm planning, registration, and marketing. The same is true of production and marketing. For example, the wholesale market of agricultural producisare supported with trading equipment to improve operational management and co-marketing of vegetables, fruits, flowers, and animal products to guide the development of marketing channels. The farmers are advised on how to strengthen the brand image of products through packaging; they are also counseled for agricultural products sales promotion (direct) and attracting publicity.

Constructive and Service Oriented Based on the production needs, life, and communication of the people in the county, the Nantou County Government has two types of functions: constructive functions and service-oriented functions. Constructive functions are mainly embodied in the provision of basic facilities and the management and development of developmental resources. For instance, the sewerage division of the Public Works Department is mainly responsible for rain water and sewer systems engineering in the urban areas to ensure normal discharge of sewage and rainwater in the counties. The department of hydraulic engineering is mainly responsible for flood control in flood prone areas, river public land inventory, use permits, use rights cancellation, use fees collection, dispute cases processing, disaster relief applications, management and protection of river areas, the investigation and statistics of hydrological data, and the management and maintenance

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of water conservancy facilities. The hydraulic engineering department shall investimen, survey, contract, award, construct, acquire land, provide compensation for above-ground objects and matters to be handled in dispute cases, conduct emergency repair (insurance) and rehabilitation works for water conservancy natural disasters, and ensure storage and use of flood control equipment, etc., to prevent flooding. The departments of road maintenance and transport engineering shall ensure the management, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the numbered roads under the jurisdiction of the county, the excavation and verification of the pipelines of the numbered roads, the management of the public lands of the numbered roads, and the construction and management of the broadband pipelines, respectively. They shall also implement project construction plans, as well as rural road improvement, maintenance, rehabilitation, marking projects, mirror projects, and a variety of traffic facilities to ensure the safety of the county. At the same time, to ensure the rational development and utilization of resources and the expansion of new energy sources, the Resources Development Section and the Industrial Development Section separately coordinate the management of river soil and mineral resources. The Special Area for sand and gravel ensures special road planning for sand and gravel vehicles and administers the permission for the use of earth and gravel. The industrial zone and industrial land management are involved in industrial development strategy planning and promotion, investment promotion planning and promotion, water pipe fitter registration, gas business management, gas station management, renewable energy, and solar photovoltaic business construction. In terms of service functions, the social and labor department is particularly prominent. For example, the women’s welfare and protection division provides services to families in special circumstances, such as in cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, and harassment; in supporting new residents, in fighting discrimination against women, in ensuring women’s welfare, etc. The Social Assistance Division provides emergency assistance, medical and nursing assistance, disaster relief, public welfare, and other services. The social welfare branch provides online emergency relief services for the elderly living alone, day care for the elderly, inpatient care for low-and middle-income elderly in serious illness, home service for the elderly, and warm bus services. The Labor and Youth branch focuses on the provision of vocational training, case services, and diversified employment services for workers, the unemployed, foreign workers, and workers in occupational disasters. The Labor Relations division provides protection in terms of labor conditions, work rules, labor relations, labor disputes, old-system pension benefits, protection against mass dismissals, gender equality at Work Act, Trade Unions, Occupational Safety and Health, employment with disabilities, vocational training for persons with disabilities, and job re-engineering. Social Workers and Children’s division focus on the welfare and protection of children and adolescents, child and sexual exploitation, drug abuse prevention and control, etc. Social Administration Division focuses on community development, voluntary service, people’s organizations, and the growth of corporate entities to provide services.

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Manageability and Autonomy Although the level of autonomy of the various departments in the counties is varied, it is not always achieved through consultation or self-awareness. Traditional ways of “management” are still required to ensure the inviolability of private property, the inviolability of public security, and the inviolability of shared resources. Of course, more autonomy is expected to reflect the common will of the county people. Management is mainly manifest in matters of public interest, public security, property rights clarification, professional standards, and so on. In public interest, for example, the finance department is responsible not only for the annual budget and final accounts, but also for the management of county-owned property, such as non-public housing, construction land rental, and rent management, and movable property, real estate reported damage scrap, and so on. It shall also administer the business and funds of the county’s tobacco and alcohol industry, the county’s credit union, the deposit in special accounts and the cashier and petty cash for safekeeping products. In the classification of property rights, the Department of Land Administration mainly deals with land and building registration, newly registered land survey, re-survey area demarcation of the transferred cadastral map, re-survey result verification of the cadastral map, pre-determined ground diameter for public facilities, cadastral management statistics, and land information management, land registration, land information, cadastre management, comprehensive business supervision, and inspection. The Department of Land Administration also handles public farmland lease, lease surrender and disputes, as well as the related work on the rezoning of agricultural land and the rezoning of rural residential areas, (such as planning, briefing – in forums, public hearings, hearings), land improvement compensation, status survey and survey, handling of land cases; for instance, the Department of Land Administration was involved in the 37.5% Arable Rent Reduction Act cases. It also handles lease registration, illegal cases, investigation, lease term expiration verification, registration inspection, etc. The service aspect mainly manifests in the Social and the Labor Department, the Education Department, the Civil Affairs Office, the sightseeing office, the plan office, and so on. Where vulnerable groups have limited capacity to serve themselves or to integrate and are even vulnerable to discrimination, the Social and Labor Department sets up women’s service centers and new residents’ service centers to provide special services for women, new residents, and other special groups, apart from day care service, Home Service, Special Transport Service (coach), and meals delivery service for the elderly and persons with disabilities at public expense. It also provides case service, employment service, and multiple employment service for workers involved in occupational disasters to avoid employment discrimination. The special education section of the Education Division, to guarantee the right to education of special groups, provides professional services to special education classes besides reducing class work, and implementing fee waiver, management of school transport, management of teacher assistant fees, grants, education grants, special education knowledge and ability studies, and development and improvement of special education. In terms of Special Education, to ensure and enhance the quality of service

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to the public, the office of program planning conducts telephone courtesy tests and verification of service provided by counter staff in various government office, and conducts opinion surveys on the public regarding the quality of services rendered. At the same time, to make things easier for the people and listen to the voice of the county people, Nantou County accepts not only county business consultation, but also petitions and county people’s suggestions in the government service center. Moreover, twice a month, the “County People’s Time” (see Table 3) is arranged to provide the public with two face-to-face communication opportunities with the county chief. A consumer service center is also established to provide consumer information consultation and accept consumer dispute cases. Autonomy is mainly reflected in the county within the scope of the development of self-government. For example, government will be linked in the funeral and interment management business, the local government’s public manufacturing business, the examination of the laws and regulations of the Nantou County Autonomous Region, public (publication) publications, countersignature (draft) legal opinions, etc., as well as in the adjustment of the township administrative areas, and the organization and establishment of the township public office. Election affairs, etc., are completed under the guidance of the Civil Affairs Office. At the same time, to ensure that the county government departments spend money economically and effectively, the Nantou County Government has set up a special procurement center, in accordance with the principle of “Applying the most advantageous standard, approving the most advantageous standard, choosing the most advantageous standard, choosing the most suitable person and the lowest heterogeneous standard” to assist each unit of county government to deal with the most advantageous pre-bidding operation (including the selection committee operation) and the most advantageous pre-bidding management system.

3.2 Matters of Self-Government of Puli Town Hall Article 20 of the “Local System Law” stipulates that the content of township (town, City) autonomy is mainly concentrated in eight aspects, such as organization and administration, finance, social service, education, culture and sports, and so on. For example, Township (town, City) has autonomy in public officials election, recall, organization and management, Information Administration, and other organizational and administrative matters; Financial Revenue has autonomy in expenditure and management, tax, public debt and property management and disposal, and other financial related matters; Social Welfare autonomy is concerned with public welfare and social relief, funeral facilities and management, mediation services and other social services; the establishment and management of social education, arts and cultural activities, sports activities, etiquette and folk literature, social education, sports and cultural institutions deals with the operation and management of educational culture and sports matters; environmental hygiene autonomy is seen in matters related to waste removal and disposal, road construction and management, parks

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Table 3 “County Time” processing schedule Date

Meeting area

Meeting place

Meeting time

Points to note

11-Aug-17

Nantou County Government

The lobby on the first floor. Zhongxing Road 660 Nantou City, 049-2,222,000

9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

Arrive at the processing location before the deadline At 10:30 a.m.

25-Aug-17

Xinyi Township

Xinyi health clinic, Conference room, third floor, 45 Yushan Road, Xinyi, 049-2,791,148

13-Oct-17

Nantou County Government

The lobby on the first floor. Zhongxing Road 660 Nantou City, 049-2,222,000

2:30 pm–4:00

Arrive at the processing location before the deadline, at 2:00 a.m.

27-Oct-17

Shui Li Township

Shui Li Township Health 9:30 a.m.–10:30 Center, Conference room, a.m. third floor, Shui Li Village People’s Minsheng Road 25-5.049-2,770,079

12-Jan-18

Nantou County Government

The lobby on the first floor. Zhongxing Road 660 Nantou City, 049-2,222,000

26-Jan-18

Yuchi Township

Assembly Hall, 4th floor, Yuchi Township Public Office, No. 233, Xiushui Road, Yuchi Village, Yuchi Township,049-2,895,371

23-Feb-18

JIji Township

Hall, 3rd floor, Jiji Town public office, 61 Minsheng Road, Jiji Town, 049-2,762,034

09-Mar-18

Nantou County Government

The lobby on the first floor. Zhongxing Road 660 Nantou City, 049-2,222,000

23-Mar-18

Guoxing Township

Guoxing community activity center,No. 40, Minzu Street, Guoxing village, Guoxing Township

Arrive at the processing location before the deadline At 10:30 a.m.

(continued)

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Table 3 (continued) Date

Meeting area

Meeting place

Meeting time

Points to note

08-Jun-18

Nantou County Government

The lobby on the first floor. Zhongxing Road 660 Nantou City, 049-2,222,000

9:30:00–11:30

Arrive at the processing location before the deadline At 10:30 a.m.

and green spaces establishment and management, local traffic planning, operation and management, matters relating to construction, transportation, and sightseeing; autonomy in matters relating to public safety is seen in planning and execution of disaster prevention and rescue and implementation of civil defense; autonomy is also seen in matters relating to the operation and management of public utilities and public undertakings, and public production undertakings, and such other matters as may be prescribed by law.

Matters Relating to the Autonomy of Puli Town Hall According to the local government law and the local executive branch organization principle, the Puli Town office combines the characteristics of its own industry, population, history, and culture. In addition to the administrative style, plan, and personnel office set up by “One whip,” the “Regulations on the organization and self-government of Puli Town public office” were formulated, and the autonomous items are divided into five classes, namely, society, agriculture, economy and tourism, public works, and finance and civil administration. The Social Studies section is mainly responsible for social administration, social assistance, social insurance, social welfare, people’s group counseling, word processing, general administration, etc. The agriculture, economy, and tourism section is mainly responsible for the management of agriculture, forestry, fishery, and animal husbandry production, agricultural extension, grain, agricultural production and marketing and investigation of agricultural conditions, business administration, public utilities, planning and development of tourist attractions, planning and management of public leisure space, tourism services and information construction, etc. The Finance section is mainly responsible for financial administration, public property, cashiering, and assisting in tax collection. The public works section is mainly responsible for civil engineering, urban planning, public construction, construction management, transportation, water conservancy, simple tap water, street lamp management, etc. The Civil Affairs Section is mainly responsible for selfgovernment administration, land administration, mediation administration (including legal system and compensation), rites and religions, funeral and interment management, public production, social education, civil defense, service administration, business affairs, property management, procurement, public relations, and other matters.

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Autonomous Management of Puli Town Hall For the market in Puli territory, public production, tomb politics, and public property activation, the Puli Town Office is responsible under the “Autonomous Business Management Office” for special management. For example, market management, covers rental, inspection, management, and maintenance of stalls in Puli’s third market, Nanmen’s third market, children’s 12-story iron market and fish market, night market, fees for the use of market stalls (shops), cleaning fees, payment and collection of water and electricity charges, counseling by the Market Autonomous Association, the Association of Stall Operators and the Association of shop operators, third market surrounding road holidays and folk festival traffic control, and other work. Public production section deals mainly with the organization and operation of the public production committee, the Research and Development Plan and operation upgrade, the weeding of the afforestation land and the application for the afforestation bonus, the related works of the pagoda of Cixiaotang and the application at the counter, etc. Tomb management section mainly accepts applications from the public for the issuance of permits for the use of the ossuary counters and the principal tablets of Cihuitang, as well as information management, evaluation and placement of ossuaries of Cihuitang, and funeral and cemetery services. Public property activation section focuses mainly on the three-dimensional car park, the station and its attached shopping mall management, as well as the state-owned land cooperative development cases.

Puli Town Hall Self-Regulation In the daily life of the townsfolk, if there are conflicts or disputes, on the one hand, the people can resort to the law to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, while on the other, they can resolve them through civil mediation. To reduce the sources of litigation so that people can save money, time, and not feel the pinch in reaching a reconciliation, the Puli Town Office has a Special Mediation Committee. People’s acceptance of this mediation committee is high, and they are more willing to accept the way of reconciliation in the face of contradiction, which is conducive to the formation of good folk customs. On the contrary, the human resources of the courts are limited; hence, all efforts are focused on judging major and important cases. The Nantou local court (the third-level court) has set up a mediation committee, whereby general cases need are mediated by the Mediation Committee. The mediation committees of the local courts shall not accept cases that have not been mediated by the township mediation committees. Composition of the Conciliation Commission. In concurrence with the “Key points for the implementation of mediation in each township and municipality under the guidance of the Nantou County Government” (hereinafter referred to as “Key points for the implementation of Mediation”), there are 11 chairmen and members, 2 secretaries and 2 officers (assistants) in the Puli Conciliation Commission. The

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“Points for implementation of mediation” clearly state the conditions for the appointment of a mediator: a person in each jurisdiction who has legal knowledge and is an impartial member of the SSF, and who has one of the following qualifications. The concerned person must (a) have served as a member of a township (town or city) mediation committee, (b) be a qualified lawyer, (c) hold a university degree in law or a related subject, (d) have served as a village (sub-district) commissioner (but not exceeding one-third), (e) have served as a township (town, city) representative (but not more than one-third), or (f) be secondary or higher school graduate. According to the age composition of the Puli Conciliation Commission, the average age is about 60 and the maximum age is 68 (12 years after serving three terms). These persons not only have social standing, but also are known to act fairly and persuasively. From the perspective of their careers, members of the Conciliation Commission have their own jobs, and they do not work full-time in the conciliation commission. They work in the commission mostly in their spare time depending on the schedule for participation in conciliation work. Since it is not a full-time job, a mediator does not get paid. However, to cover the mediator’s time cost, the Puli Town office pays him in the form of carriage fees. The award is usually based on a standard of NT $500 for a successful mediation. Although the mediators are highly respected, their competence still varies. To avoid the mediation of a mediation committee or to quickly deal with a number of cases, an internal “queuing mechanism” is adopted for a reasonable scheduling of tasks. It’s not easy being a mediator!13 It is not easy being the member of a conciliation commission, especially being its chairman. The chairman cannot be a young person. The chairman must be a man of honor. For instance, the average age of persons in the mediation committee in Puli is about 60 years. There is also an older person who is 68 years old and has been in the committee for 12 years, 3 times in a row. In addition to these basic conditions, they also require the approval of the mayor and the courts. For example, the mayor wants to ask a retired teacher in the town to be the chairman of the Mediation Committee. However, when his records were checked by the court, it turned out that he had written some reports for which he had been sued. Despite the failure of the prosecution and his acquittal, the prosecutor considered him flawed and unfit to chair the Conciliation Commission. Some chiefs are also concurrently part of the Conciliation Commission. Compared with the governor, the mediator, though highly respected, has a certain influence in the local scene, but the scope of influence is still limited to the handling of disputes and is not as vast as that of the governor, or of the governor of the county. Of course, there are downsides to being a mediator. For example, both sides of the conflict comprise people from the same town or townsfolk; if the mediation is not good, the side that has not been given a favorable verdict will unnecessarily make an enemy of the mediator. Therefore, when the mayor asked me if I wanted to be a mediator, I declined on the grounds of my youth.

Mediation clients. The Nantou County Government aims to promote local cohesion and harmony through the Mediation Committee and to promote the scope of its services by extending mediation services from natural persons to government schools in their respective jurisdictions. In the event of a civil dispute arising from an act of private law between the Nantou County Government and the community, the school should first apply to the local Mediation Committee for Mediation; in the event

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43

of a civil complaint or consultation and in line with the mediation implementation points, mediation matters may be referred to the township (town, City) Mediation Committee for mediation. At the same time, Puli Town Hall needs to take the initiative to strengthen ties with local authorities, village (neighborhood) chiefs, and local gentry. In case of public disputes, they are referred to the Mediation Committee for mediation. This shows that the service targets of the Conciliation Commission have expanded considerably. Content of mediation services. “The main points of mediation implementation” stipulates that where civil matters are handled, complaints are discussed, and mediation is conducted in criminal matters, the establishment of mediation in events shall have the same effect as the judgment of the court after it is approved by the court. Civil affairs involving private rights and obligations, including property and identity, can in principle be mediated. For example, disputes such as management request for payment, unjust enrichment, infringement, contractual disputes, and real estate ownership can be mediated. However, it is not suitable to claim mediation for disputes over land tenancy, determination of children’s status, abandonment of inheritance, or when the nature of events is special (divorce by agreement or violation of public order and good customs). If, in accordance with the provisions of the law, the victim or another person having the right to tell the investigation organ the facts of the crime expresses the wish to pursue the case, the state may decree punishment for the crime by considering it a criminal matter or give a verdict through a mediation committee. Matters such as harm to a family, harm to freedom, harm to reputation, harm to credit, and secrets, harm, destruction, and damage, theft between relatives, forced sexual intercourse, or indecent assault (if not reported) sexual harassment, etc., cannot be told and hence, no mediation is conducted in such cases. Two cases I mediated14 The mediation committee mediates in automobile accident disputes, contract disputes, debt disputes, land disputes, and other disputes. Among them, the most common are traffic accident disputes, almost accounting for 90% or so of the mediated cases. I have also encountered disputes over ancestral property and business disputes between storefronts, but such disputes can rarely be resolved through mediation, and mostly require a court decision. A car accident dispute may seem simple, but some cases are troublesome, for instance, when a person is killed. In a case that occurred, an old woman turned left on her motorcycle before a red light became green and hit a nine-year-old child. The old woman herself fell to the ground. The child was knocked down, hit his head on the traffic island, and died. The two sides agreed to settle for a compensation of NT $5 million through consultations of the Mediation Committee, of which NT $2 million was guaranteed by the government. Therefore, even if a case involved death, as long as the mediation committee mediates and both sides agree on the outcome, it has legal effect, and there is no need to go to the court again. Last month, one of my neighbors, hit an old lady accidentally while on his motorcycle. The old lady suffered only minor injuries but demanded NT $6000 for a medical examination. Since the two parties did not reach a settlement, they continued to file claims against the perpetrator at a high cost. They came to me, hoping I could help. Later, Li Min and I went to the old lady’s house in 北山 to make peace. Although there was not much harm done, the old lady kept saying that she was sore and demanded a compensation of NT $100,000 from the perpetrator. Thanks to the chief of the other side, after many rounds of negotiation, we decided on NT $6000 as compensation and finally settled the matter for NT $ 12,000. Originally, I wanted to

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2 Executive Branch and Autonomy of Nantou County and Township make it up to NT $4000, but the other party insisted it should be NT $6000 on the grounds that “4” sounds bad. In the settlement, the time, place, and course of the dispute, the liability of both parties, the amount of compensation, and the correct negotiations, such that both sides do not have any objections, and no longer have any relationship are all mentioned. Then, the two sides sealed their personal seals, and the two chiefs acted as witness esto seal a smooth reconciliation. Disputes like this are usually referred to a conciliation commission (third floor, Puli Town Hall). However, with a mediation committee, it could be more complicated. If we ask the Mediation Committee to mediate, they will say, “Are you here to take care of me?” We cannot say anything, because both sides have to negotiate with the Mediation Committee, and the village head is just trying to give them a pep talk.

Principles and methods of mediation. In a concrete mediation process, an effective principle is the principle of territoriality. The “Key points of mediation implementation” require the Mediation Committee to divide the responsibility area into groups and sub-cases according to the administrative area of the town public office and the jurisdiction of the police. The list of members of the District Mediation Committee shall be sent to the office of the organization, village (sub-district) in the district, and the name plate of the District Service Mediation Committee shall be displayed at the appropriate place in the township (town, City) office, for mediation claimants and designation of parents. Another key principle is the principle of independent handling. In the face of conflicting disputes, an independent mediator is usually present at the office of the Mediation Committee of the Town Hall or any other suitable place, considering the wishes of both parties, and advises both parties to be present for mediation. If the mediation is successful, the three parties can sign the mediation letter; if the Mediation Committee is unable to mediate successfully on its own, the case shall be submitted to the town Mediation Committee for mediation. Chairman of the Conciliation Commission15 So far, having been a Town Councilman, the governor of the district, or the head of the Water Conservancy Commission, the position I am most proud to have occupied is that of the chairman of the Mediation Committee Being a mediator is, I think, the most rewarding and meaningful position to occupy. In daily life, trivial issues like a neighbors’ quarrel, play, and even accidents produce conflicts. In case a dispute arises, people are generally afraid of offending others, and hence, unwilling or afraid to intervene. Naturally, they go to the mediation committee as they consider the mediator an impartial person. If I can help them arrive at a settlement, what a success! During my tenure as chairman of the Conciliation Commission, many cases were successfully mediated. In fact, doing this requires no special skills; within the framework of the law, using easy-to-understand language and reasoning can bring people to mutual understanding and humility. I remember two cases. One was a farmer herding cattle in a river. His cattle ran amok on the banks that day and collided with a pickup truck on the road. One of his cows was killed by the pickup truck, and the pickup truck was damaged; it needs servicing. The two sides were at loggerheads over the matter, Each says he is right. After I talked some sense into them, they settled. The driver of the car was to compensate the owner of the cattle with NT $1000, and the repair cost of the pickup truck was to be borne by the driver himself. Another case was of two brothers fighting over their parents’ pension. I invited them to the mediation room and showed them a piece of writing hanging on the wall of the mediation room. It said, “Brothers and compatriots are angry, and their ancestors are free from strife. How long can you become a brother when you meet and grow old?” It made them realize that two brothers cannot, because of a little contradiction, turn against each other. I also reviewed

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45

with them the principle laid down by Confucius, “Sheep have the grace of kneeling at the breast, the Crow has the sentiment of returning to feed, such is filial benevolence; deer get grass to seek the crowd, ants get food to report to the public, love the righteousness of the crowd...,” which I used to recite as a child. The brothers then realized that it is shameful to be unfilial to their parents. I also encouraged them saying, “I also know that you two will not fail to support your parents because of their small pension. Our parents have given us life and given us life! You two must not quarrel over such a trifle, or even hold a grudge.” I showed them another sign put up on the wall, “Hate is an invisible prison, forgiveness is the perfect sentence.” Finally, the two of them settled their differences and took good care of their old parents as long as they lived.

3.3 Matters of Cross-Regional Autonomy In inter-governmental relations, both vertical cooperation management and horizontal cross-regional cooperation management exist. Local governments at all levels are autonomous subjects with their own interests and development goals. When the objectives of the higher and lower levels of government, or horizontal relations between them, are inconsistent, contradictions and conflicts are produced.

Vertical Cross-Domain Autonomy Article 77 of the Local Systems Act states that, “between the competent administrative authorities and a municipality or county (city) under the competent administrative authorities, in the event of a dispute over their jurisdiction, it shall be decided by the competent legislative authorities at a meeting; between a county and a township (town or city), in the event of a dispute over matters of self-government, it shall be settled by the competent interior authorities together with the competent authorities of the ‘Competent administrative authorities.’ Between municipalities directly under the competent administrative authorities and between municipalities directly under the competent administrative authorities and counties (cities), disputes over matters and powers shall be settled by the competent executive authorities; between counties (cities), disputes over matters and powers shall be settled by the competent authorities of the competent executive authorities; and between townships (towns and cities), disputes over matters and powers shall be settled by the county government.” When authority disputes or legal disputes arise between the Competent executive authorities and local governments, they usually comment on the basis of existing legal rulings or systems. Since judicial and administrative powers are separated, it is difficult for the judiciary to judge disputes between the Competent executive authorities and local governments. For example, in 2002, the Taipei City Government decided to adjust the neighborhood before conducting the election of the chief magistrate in accordance with the “Autonomous Ordinance on administrative territorial entity and neighborhood formation in Taipei” (promulmend on April 4, 2002); according to the “Local System Law” article 83, item 1 and item 3, the “Special accident” was a reason to postpone the election. The Taipei City Government argued that,

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according to Article 118 of the constitutional provisions of the Taiwan Region, Taipei is the body that guarantees the implementation of local self-government under the constitutional provisions of the Taiwan region. Based on the “Special incident,” the city government has the discretion to postpone the election. “The Competent interior authorities” considered that the case did not meet the “Special accident” requirements of the “Local system law,” and repeatedly wrote to the Taipei City Government to rescind the decision, and to the Competent executive authorities to rescind Taipei’s decision. On May 2, 2002, the Competent executive authorities accepted the opinion of the Competent interior authorities and rescinded Taipei’s decision to postpone the election of the governor of the Taipei City Government. The Chief Justice of the Competent judicial authorities accepted the case in accordance with Article 75, item 8, of the local system law, and on December 20, 2002, in explanation no. 553, he said that “The decision of the competent executive authorities to rescind the extension of the election in the Taipei City Government is based on the facts of a specific case, and the Taipei City Government is not satisfied with it. It is a dispute over public law with the competent executive authorities supervisory organ, and the dispute should be settled through administrative proceedings.”16 In this case, although the Lord Chancellor accepted the claim of the Taipei City Government, since the “Administrative sanction” imposed by the autonomous supervisory authority did not fall within the scope of the competent judicial authorities review, the case was not substantively dealt with.

Autonomous Relationships Across Domains Although local governments at various levels are autonomous units, in public production, garbage treatment, water resources management, common water management, and various joint bidding and outsourcing, joint ventures and other issues often intersect. This happens especially in the management of natural resources, such as shared resources like rivers and mountains, wherein because of geographical cross-domain, the same management authority is scattered in different authorities. For instance, water governance issues not only involve the “Competent interior authorities,” “Agricultural committee,” “Economic department,” and “Environmental Protection Agency,” but also directly come under the municipal or county (city) government organs or units. The Competent interior authorities is in charge of the construction of the sanitary sewer, the “Agricultural Committee” is responsible for water and soil conservation and farmland drainage in the upper reaches of the rivers, the “Economic Department” is responsible for river and regional drainage system improvement, and the “Environmental Protection Department” is responsible for the enforcement of relevant pollution sources. Local governments should not only carry out relevant tasks, but also take charge of the regulation and dredging of local rivers and non-major rivers. Therefore, “water control in Kowloon” not only affects the effectiveness of the whole watershed management, but also causes cross-county difficulties in coordination and management.

Notes

47

In the face of this problem, Article 21 of the “Local System Law” stipulates that, when “Local self-government matters involve areas that straddle municipalities, counties (cities), and townships (towns and cities), they shall be handled by the respective local self-government bodies through consultation; if necessary, they shall be jointly handled by the relevant local self-government bodies under the coordination of the competent authorities at a higher level, or one of the local self-government bodies shall be designated to handle them within a time limit.” Although the Joint Service Center of the Competent executive authorities is set up by the Taiwan Competent executive authorities in Taizhong, to some extent, it helps to ease the contradiction, but the ability to solve it is still relatively limited. Deputy Chief Executive Chen Dajun also admitted that, “The dispute between the Taizhong City Education Bureau and the Competent executive authorities Office of the competent education authorities over the origin of schools is in fact correct in both respects. The competent education authorities is based on legal opinions, while the city education bureau is based on the needs of the public. Such conflicts between competent executive authorities and local views are not uncommon. However, the Joint Service Center of the Competent executive authorities can only act as a lubricant at this stage and cannot coordinate and integrate existing resources to deal with the problem at the highest level.”17

Notes 1.

2. 3.

“Pocket party member (head party member)”is the result of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) election system and the nomination of candidates for public office. In order to be able to obtain high support rate in the major elections within the party, the party members who are interested in “Upward development” have raised “Head party members”(paid party dues). Since these particular party members are not real party members and only come out of their pockets when needed, they are also known as “Pocket Party members”. Those who pay the party dues on behalf of the means, holding hundreds or even thousands of party members, known as the “Head Big Family.” In major party elections, these “Big heads” can be put up for sale, wielded power, and made political deals with party candidates for representative or Competent legislative authorities positions, even personally participated in the party representatives, county mayors, county and city councillors, “Non-district legislators” within the party primaries. As for the situation where only a few hundred votes are needed to be elected as party representatives, and the term of office of each party representative is two years, it is easy to be elected as party representatives only by paying the party fee of three hundred thousand RMB, then the party can represent the “Value”, with a higher level of demand for party members to bargain for greater political interests. Xie Jieyu, protesting the unfair polls of the Democratic Progressive Party, burning party cards in Puli, http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/local/paper/1166938, liberty times, January 9, 2018. “Announcement of the Competent election authorities” (No. 1073150265). The calculation method for the upper limit of the election funds is: for the election of mayors, heads of counties (cities), heads of townships (towns and cities), heads of indigenous communities and heads of villages (Li), 70% of the total population of the respective electoral districts shall be elected, times the base amount of NT $20 plus a fixed sum. The fixed amount of the county (City) mayor shall be nt thirty million, the fixed amount of the township (town) mayor shall be nt thirty million, and the fixed amount of the township (town) mayor shall be.

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4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Nantou County Election Committee Notice (Poll No. 1073150185). Data from the “Voting guide,” https://councils.g0v.tw/candidates/councilors, Nantou County. “Announcement of the Competent election authorities” (No. 1030023984). “Announcement of the Competent election authorities” (No. 1070024820). Tong Zhenguo, Liu Binquan, Chen Fengli, the governor of the house seeking re-election campaign office 31 li office moved into the office, http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/local/paper/ 827742. 20,180,710 interview audio collation. The list of proposers shall be filled out in full and in accordance with the prescribed format, including the proposer’s identity card number and household registration address. And subvillage (Li) bound into a book. Wu Bin: The 14 Li Long collective beheaded chickens in Nantou to show their innocence during an interview with prosecutors in connection with bribery over the election, http://www. taiwan.cn/taiwan/tw_socialnews/201201/t20120110_2243136.htm. Gao Chen: Taiwan’s Hualian Hsiu Lin has served six terms as township head for four years, the shortest term being 52 days, http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2018-10-12/doc-ifxeuwws3396 641.shtml. 20,180,701 interview audio collation. Audio Recording of interview on July 8, 2018. Audio Recording of interview on July 12, 2018. Wang Yingjin: An analysis of the political system in Taiwan. Kyushu Press, 2010, p. 140. Yang Zhicheng: A study on the organizational positioning of the Central and southern joint service centers of the Competent Executive authorities. The Research, Development and Evaluation Commission of the Competent Executive authorities, 2007, p. 146.

9. 10.

11.

12.

13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

Chapter 3

Local Councils and Self-Government in Nantou County

Local autonomy is the training ground for democracy in Taiwan. The local council, as the local legislature, is the core platform and medium of local autonomy. Through the representatives of public opinion at all levels, the people pay close attention not only to events around them, but also to the actions of the county and township governments, civil servants, and public officials, and post their own problems and suggestions to the people concerned in a timely manner, urge them to amend in time, and jointly promote the development of local self-government. Although in many county councils (including the competent legislative authorities) in Taiwan, physical conflicts often erupt between legislators, in the long-standing Nantou County Council, even though the two camps are distinct, they live in relative harmony, which is rare on the island.

1 Creation and Function of Nantou County Council 1.1 Nantou County Council (1) The election of county council According to Article 33 of the law on local systems, “A county (City) with a population of less than 800,000 may not have more than 43 people on its council.” On the basis of the 37 deputies elected on January 24, 1998,1 the Nantou County Council will make adjustments in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 of the organization guidelines for local legislatures in the light of changes in the number of people in the counties. When the 18th Nantou County Council was founded in 2014, it was supposed to elect 37 members, including 17 for the KMT, all 8 for the DPP, 11 for the nonparty, and one for the common people.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_3

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The election of county councilors. As per the “Election and Strike Law,” the requirements for candidates for public office are basically the same. The minimum age for county councilors, township representatives, and village chiefs is 23 years. County councilors are elected based on the highest number of votes in their respective constituencies. For example, in the 2014 public officers election, Chen Zhaoyu, a candidate for County Councilor in the third constituency (Yuchi Township, Jiji Township, Shuili Township, Xinyi Township), swept 9,915 of the 31,699 valid votes cast in that constituency; the share of votes accounted for 31.28% of the constituency, ranking first in the county. In the second constituency (Caotun Township and Zhongliao Township), the candidate for County Councilor, Huang Wenjun, won only 1,611 of the 64,480 votes cast in that constituency, with only 2.5% of the votes cast. He was elected because of the quota reserved for women’s protection. The treatment of county councilmen. To ensure that county councilors can be a good “mouthpiece for the people,” The “Law on Local Systems” clearly stipulates that they “shall not concurrently serve as other civil servants, full-time teachers of public and private schools at all levels, or other elected public officials, nor concurrently hold any position or title of the municipal government, county (City) government, township (town, City) public office, and its subordinate organs or institutions,” to provide a certain economic and political security. Amounts are sanctioned, for research fees, attendance fees, transportation fees, and meals during meetings, and a certain amount of matching funds each year, as well as special political treatment, such as meeting time, according to which, “Members of Parliament of a municipality directly under the competent administrative authorities, members of Parliament of a county (City) or deputies of a township (town, City) shall not be responsible for their speech or vote on matters relating to the meeting.” “No one shall be arrested or detained (except for flagrante delicto or wanted criminals) without the consent of the municipal council, the county (City) Council or the deputies of a township (town, City).” (2) Creation and removal of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Nantou County Council The birth of the chancellor. To ensure normal operations of the county council, Nantou County enacted the “Regulations on self-government of Nantou County Council organizations” in accordance with the “Law on local systems” and made the following detailed provisions on the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. First, the county council would be established after the election and swearing-in ceremony of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Second, among the number of electors or county councilors to take office, at least more than half of those who attend should be able to meet the minimum standards. If the number of members present is insufficient, the next date for election shall be announced, and the members shall be notified. In the case of a third election, when more than one-third of the total number of serving members have been elected, the election shall be held from among the actual number of members, and the one who has obtained the highest number of votes shall be elected. Third, in the election process, members must present their vote using their real name, and the number of votes must be more than half of the

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total number of county members present for election. If the result of the election is inconclusive, a second ballot shall be held immediately to secure the election of the candidate with the largest number of votes, and those with the same number of votes shall be determined by drawing lots. The same applies to the by-election. After the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, they shall be sworn in accordance with the provisions of the oaths ordinance. Any person who fails to take the oath as prescribed shall be deemed to have not taken the post. The Speaker’s recall. Article 80 of the local system law stipulates, “Members of municipal, county (City), and township (town, City) people who have not attended two regular sessions in succession shall also be removed from their functions and powers.” More than three-thirds of the total number of county councilors are required to sign the recall and submit the original and copy of the recall to the Competent interior authorities and the Nantou County Government, respectively. The Competent interior authorities and the Nantou County Government shall, within seven days of receiving the recall, serve a copy on the Assembly and transmit it to the deposed person within five days. If the deposed person has a reply, he shall, within seven days after receiving a copy of the reply, send it to the Competent interior authorities and the county government, which shall print it together with the reply to the members of Parliament and the deputies. The Competent interior authorities and the county government shall, within twenty-five days of receiving the recall proposal, call a recall voting meeting, and the members present shall vote by secret ballot regarding approval or disapproval of the recall. A motion for recall shall be passed with the consent of the members of Parliament, when a majority of the total number of are representatives present, that is, more than two-thirds of the total number of representatives are present. If the recall is not vetoed, the person shall not be recalled during his term of office. (3) Nantou County Council According to the law on local institutions and the ordinance on self-government of Nantou County Council organizations, the Nantou County Council shall exercise the following powers and execute the following functions: determine the rules of Nantou County, the county budget, the special tax, the temporary tax, and the additional tax, and the disposition of the county property, the regulations on the organizational autonomy of county governments and the organizational autonomy of the institutions to which they belong, the matters proposed by the county government, examine the report on the final accounts of the county, and the resolution of the matters proposed by the county councilors, receive petitions from the people and other functions and powers conferred by law or by superior regulations. In addition to the above-mentioned resolutions, the county councils also decide on specific matters at the regular twice-yearly meetings and at many ad hoc meetings. For example, at the 17th Provisional Congress of the 18th session (September 18, 2017 to September 22, 2017), one issue belonging to social category, one to the human category, two to the indigenous category, one to the construction category, seventeen to the public works category, three to the agricultural category, one to the health category, and two temporary motions were decided.

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3 Local Councils and Self-Government in Nantou County Construction category2 Sponsor: Nantou County Government Construction No. 13 Cause of the case: The Government manages the 122 family buildings (including land) of the 921 earthquake-stricken affordable housing located in the section of Lancheng, Puli, which is located at No. 00156-000. The government’s intention was to handle the disposition of the project.

Reasons: 1. Article 52, paragraph 1, paragraph 2, and Article 53, paragraph 1, paragraph 6, of the county’s autonomous regulations on the administration of county-owned property. 2. The proposal was approved by the first county affairs meeting in September 2017 according to regulations. 3. The assignment was signed and approved on July 07, 2017; the government also started to accept the first batch of applications from July 14, 2017, to August 31, 2017 (122 cases in total, with a total of 68 applications as of August 31, 2017); however, the sale target of the case shall be examined by the proposal council in accordance with the relevant provisions and shall be submitted to the Competent executive authorities for approval after examination and approval. 4. All the 122 buildings in the project are leased to the affected households. The sale of the project is carried out on a rent-for-sale basis. The building is a low-cost housing project for the victims of the 1921 earthquake. The tenants are from economically disadvantaged ethnic groups. To support the tenants in becoming self-reliant and implement the government’s policy of caring for the disadvantaged, the plan is to sell the building. 5. The planning period and the time limit for completing the disposition are scheduled to be divided into three consecutive years in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and the disposition is scheduled to be completed in five years. 6. One copy of the bill of sale and one copy of the list of land and buildings to be sold. Method: After being examined and approved, the case shall be submitted to the Competent executive authorities for approval. Opinion of the committee: Adopted as drafted. Assembly resolution: Adopted on the basis of the review.

1.2 Organization of the Nantou County Council (1) Nantou County Council The Nantou County Council, in accordance with the law on local institutions, drafts the rules for the self-government of the Nantou County Council through a Procedure

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Committee, a Disciplinary Committee, a First Review Conference, a Second Review Conference, a Third Review Conference, a Fourth Review Conference, and a number of panels, which were established in the 18th Parliament. The focus of validation will vary from Committee to Committee, and from Review Conference to Panel. If the procedure committee mainly deliberates on the agenda and other procedural related matters, it is convened by Speaker He Shengfeng and Deputy Speaker Pan Yiquan and ten members, including Liao Zhicheng, Kan King-yin, Antonio Ng, Lin Yonghong, Cai Yizhu, Xu Suxia, Yu Xiuying, Liao Ziyou, Kan chi-shing, and Zhang Wei. The disciplinary committee, which considers mainly violations of the rules of procedure or other infractions of public order, where the circumstances are serious, shall be referred for disciplinary action. The convenors are Xie Mingmou, Lai yanxue and Li Zhouzhong ao Yixian. The six other members are Chen Zhaoyu, Wu Ruifang, Shi Qingshui, Chen Zhaoyu, Luo Meiling, and Li Zhouzhong. First, the review committee examines motions submitted by the district offices (including home affairs offices), social and labor offices, lands offices (including district offices), information and administration offices, planning offices, personnel offices, internal affairs offices, Indigenous Peoples Administration offices, county councils, etc. The Second Review Committee mainly examines bills submitted by the Financial Services Department, the Census and Statistics Department, the Inland Revenue Department (including Puli and Zhushan Branch Office), the police department, the fire department, etc. The Third Review Committee mainly examines proposals made by the construction department, the Public Works Department, the Tourism Department, the Agriculture Department, the Livestock Disease Prevention and Control Department, the Agricultural Products Transportation and Marketing Company, etc. The Fourth Examination Committee mainly examines the Education Department (including the primary and secondary schools with Xuguang High Schools), the Health Bureau (including the Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment Institute, towns and cities, and the Health Institute); the Environmental Protection Bureau, the Cultural Bureau, and other units of the Bill form the Special Panel, mainly for matters within the functions and powers of the parliament, when it is considered necessary to organize project research or external collection of information. (2) Administrative structure of the Nantou County Council According to the Nantou County Council Act, the administrative organization of the Nantou County Council consists of a secretary general (confidential secretary, Secretary) and a discussion group, a General Affairs Group, a Public Affairs Group, a legal office, an accounting office, and a personnel office. The secretary-general acts mainly on the orders of the speaker, conducts parliamentary business, and directs and supervises his staff, responsible for matters relating to elections, the preparation of the agenda, the preparation of meetings, the collation of records, the handling of motions and people’s petitions, the compilation of minutes and bulletins, etc. He is also mainly responsible for documents, files, cashiers, property, goods, vehicles, office buildings, business procurement and tendering operations, security, safety, assembly, staff welfare management, and other matters. The Public Affairs section is mainly responsible for public relations, news,

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expense payment of members, members of the domestic and international study tours, organized activities, services for the public, meetings, briefings, and confidential matters. The legal office is mainly responsible for matters relating to the legal system and information management. The accounting office is responsible for handling matters relating to year-counting, accounting, and statistics according to law; and the personnel office is responsible for handling matters relating to personnel management according to law. (3) Administrative staffing of the Nantou County Council Members of Nantou County’s parliament (including the Speaker and Deputy Speaker) are public officials who hold office for a term of four years. Although they may be re-elected, there are still many variables in each election. To ensure the normal operation of the work of the county council, the Accounting Office and the personnel office set up a director and team members, who are civil servants. Through the competent examination authorities unified recruitment, appropriate administrative personnel are appointed. The appointment or recommendation for appointment shall be made by reference to the rank and grade of the civil servant.

1.3 Deliberation and Operation of the Nantou County Council (1) The format of Nantou County Council The work of the county council mainly happens through conferences. In addition to each session of the establishment of the General Assembly, meetings are divided into regular and temporary meetings. Regular meetings. The so-called regular session is a regular session of parliament. According to Article 34 of the local system law, “The municipal councils, county (City) councils, and township (town, City) people’s Congresses shall meet every six months, except for each founding assembly, and shall be convened by the speaker or the chairman of the council; if the speaker or the chairman does not convene the meeting in accordance with the law, the vice-speaker or the vice-chairman shall do so; if the vice-speaker or the vice-chairman of the council does not convene the meeting in accordance with the law, more than half of the members of the Council or their deputies shall nominate one other person to convene the meeting.” According to the regulation of “The total number of members of the county (City) council shall not exceed 30 Days,” the Nantou County Council shall not exceed 30 days in each session, including official holidays or breaks during suspension of meetings. A regular session at which the general budget is considered annually, at the end of which the bill has not been considered or when it is otherwise necessary, the duration of the session may be extended “at the request of the mayor of the municipality directly under the competent administrative authorities, the mayor of the county (City), the mayor of the township (town or city), or at the request of the Speaker of

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the Council, the chairman of the council, or at least one third of the deputies, at the request of the Chairman of the Council, by a resolution of the General Assembly.” The Nantou County Council shall not exceed five days and shall not be used for questioning. Temporary meeting. The so-called temporary meeting is convened by the county council. When the Nantou County Council meets the request of the head of Nantou County, or the request of the Speaker of the Parliament, the chairman of the parliament, or the request of more than one third of the deputies, or when it receives a reconsideration motion submitted by the county government for referral, it shall hold an ad hoc meeting, the Speaker and the chairman shall deal with the matter within ten days.4 The temporary sessions of the Nantou County Council, including official holidays or suspension, shall normally not exceed five days at a time and not more than six times in twelve months. According to Article 34, item 4, of the local system law, “The speaker shall convene the Provisional Assembly, as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, within 10 Days.” The speaker has no discretion to decide not to convene the provisional assembly. If the speaker fails to convene the provisional session as required, if the speaker is not called, in accordance with the law, the vice-speaker shall be called in accordance with the law. If the vice-speaker is not called, in accordance with the law, the majority of the members shall recommend each other to be called in accordance with the law. It can be seen from this that the meetings and convocation of county councils are prescribed by the “Local system law” and there are restrictions on the duration and number of meetings. County councils may not delay, convene, or arbitrarily extend the duration of their meetings and thereby affect the normal operation of local government affairs. General policy questions and business questions. When holding regular meetings of the Nantou County Council, the Nantou County chief shall present a policy address, and the heads of the first-level units under the county government and the heads of the subordinate organs shall report on the competent operations. During the regular meetings of Nantou County legislators, they ask questions on the business of County Governors and unit heads. When a business inquiry is made, the supervisor of the relevant business shall be present for consultation. Excerpts from the agenda of the 6th periodic conference of the 18th Nantou County Council, “County Administration General Inquiry”5 Legislator Luo mingling says: The President of the General Assembly, the county chief, all the executives, the colleagues of the parliament, the media, and the folks in front of the TV, Good Morning! I’m sorry, Last Friday was supposed to be the end of the inquiry, and then there were some inexplicable clashes. I think that our county magistrate, as a local parent officer, we really need to have the stature and the heart of local parents and officials. Don’t say that when the congressmen are questioning, you will get angry and jump around like this. It’s impossible. Last Friday we told you, you can’t just listen to the good guys, you said that the DPP wanted to block your construction, and that’s what they said outside. To be honest, you really shouldn’t have done that. When did we block your budget or block your construction? Didn’t we give you

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3 Local Councils and Self-Government in Nantou County your budget? I mean, we are all representatives of public opinion, and we did not block the sand sculpture. We also supported making the sand sculpture at the beginning, but the operation did not go as expected, so we said hopefully we can increase the number of objects in the surrounding, for example, planting, ah, to make the sculpture more presentable and so on, and you didn’t do it, did you? Instead, you built a bridge, and did the bridge have any effect? I don’t know, 360 meters took 60 million. I thought, let’s give you a suggestion that is acceptable, and then you said that we’re in your way, when all we want is to see Nantou becoming better, right? Why did I compare Zhongxing New Village with the magistrate’s side that day? It is because you were all for the superior park in Zhongxing New Village, and what did we see, we are using the lessons of past experience to remind you that if construction is unnecessary, then we should not spend money indiscriminately. We are also bitter about it. As a result, you are either outside or in the assembly hall, and it is also irresponsible to say that our Democratic Progressive Party is blocking your construction. The other day, our congressman asked you if your subordinates were involved in corruption. You said, “No, this is their business.” Is it irresponsible of us to choose a local leader? Your Finance Minister is lying to you and talking nonsense outside, so we have to correct it, otherwise you will be laughed at outside, and then let you know in the chamber that you are completely unacceptable. Then you lose your temper, saying that our DPP is blocking your construction. How is our DPP blocking your budget? Today, we also wish to tell you that you are the only magistrate in Taiwan who makes rude remarks in the assembly hall. You will corrupt young children. This is not right. The Speaker of the house is here. He can see what is going on. You’re gonna cover the budget? Isn’t there some construction that needs careful consideration? …… Legislator Chen Hanli says: Unfortunately, I would like to add that after the meeting that day, if you remember correctly, the county magistrate was very angry, and he banged on the table to say the three-character sutra. As the Chinese saying goes, “Filial piety comes first”, and the county magistrate says swear word. In the afternoon, the county magistrate immediately held a press conference and said that he was cursing himself. I think the county magistrate said that everything needs to be packaged. Well, we’ll teach our administrative department chief here, why does the county magistrate curse himself when he points at us? Then how did you pack it? I asked our chief of administration. Director of Administration, Lin Qiyu says: Thank you, president He, and thank you, Congressman Chen, for your advice. First, let’s report to the congressman here. What the county magistrate said at the press conference, we didn’t wrap it up, that’s the original flavor. What the county magistrate said was that he told the reporter in this way.

(2) Rules of procedure of the Nantou County Council A bill submitted by the Nantou County Government to the county council for consideration must first go through the discussion and approval of the county council before it can be sent to the county council to discuss the integrity of the proposal process. After discussion, it is decided whether it should be included in the agenda of the General Assembly. The process by which a bill is considered by the general assembly is known as the “Reading” procedure. The rule of Parliament in Taiwan is the system of reading, that is, the procedure of three readings. The separate regulations and the budget are to be decided at the third reading.

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In general, the procedures of the rules of procedure of the Nantou County Council include: “Proposal → Examination → First Reading → Second Reading → Third Reading → Resolution → Publication.” At the first reading, when a government proposal or a bill proposed by a member is put on the agenda for report, the Chairman shall read the bill out and submit it to the relevant committee for examination. If a member present makes a proposal, and a certain number of members co-sign or second it, it goes after the vote to the second reading. During the second reading, the bill is read aloud, followed by extensive and item-by-item discussions. During the second reading, the motion is often discussed in depth, amended, re-examined, or withdrawn. A motion that has been read the second time shall be read the third time at the next meeting. Members present may also continue the third reading if they disagree. The third reading session contains only the text of amendments, except for contents of conflict with each other or with the constitutional provisions of Taiwan and other laws. (3) Members of the Nantou County Council In accordance with the “Autonomous Regulations of Nantou County Council organizations,” the Nantou County Council cannot be convened until the number of members present at the meeting reaches half the total number of seats. When a motion is put to the vote, it shall be passed by a majority of the members present or by a special quota provided for in the law on local systems and the Regulations on Nantou County Council self-government. If a majority of the people agree or fail to meet the special quota set by the law on local institutions and the Nantou County Council, they shall be regarded as vetoes. If a majority is reached by a single vote, or if a single vote is adopted by a special quota, the president of the conference may participate by a single vote in favor of its adoption or not by a veto. In the course of policy address and questions, the meeting of this council shall not be postponed even if the number of members attending the meeting has not reached the required quota. For each meeting of the regular or ad hoc meetings of the Nantou County, if the number of members present at the meeting is insufficient, the meeting shall proceed in the order in which it was scheduled, and members are informed before the third meeting. At the time of the third meeting, if the actual number of members has reached more than one third of the total number of members minus the number of vacancies, the actual number of members can meet. The second meeting shall be deemed to be the third when it is the last meeting of the current session. In general, meetings of the Nantou County Council are held in public with spectator stands. A secret meeting may be held at the request of the chairman or more than forty-nine members of the council, or at the request of the persons sitting in the Council pursuant to Article 49 of the Local System Act, upon the approval of the council.

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2 The Emergence and Operation of the Puli Town People’s Congress 2.1 Formation and Functions of the Puli Town Council (1) The formation of the Puli Town People’s Congress After the restoration of Taiwan Province, a town council was established in Puli. Due to the relationship between the administration and the local government, the first to third sessions of the Town People’s Congress were held in Taizhong County. In October 1950, local autonomy was implemented in Taiwan Province, and the Nantou County Government was established on October 21 of the same year. The 4th Puli Town People’s representative was elected on December 28, 1952, and the founding assembly was held on January 26, 1953. The generation of representatives of Puli Town. In accordance with the “Local system law” on “Population of less than one hundred and fifty thousand people, not more than 19” provision, since there are more than 80,000 people in Puli, there were 16 elected representatives of the township people. The deputies shall hold office for a term of four years and shall be re-elected without limitation for a number of consecutive terms. Treatment of representatives6 of Puli Town. The representatives of the townsfolk shall not be given any post, but shall be provided with research fees, and shall be provided with attendance fees, transportation fees, and expenses for food and entertainment during the meeting. In addition to the basic monthly salary and professional bonus, they enjoy annual health check, insurance, stationery, and other subsidies, as well as postage, international inspection fees, and so on. They also enjoy political treatment at the same time. When the Town People’s Congress is in session, the Town People’s representatives are not responsible for the comments and votes made on the related items of the meeting. During the session, no one shall be arrested or detained without the consent of the Town People’s representative committee. (2) The generation and removal of the chairman and vice-chairman of the Puli Town People’s Congress According to the local system law, the chairmen and vice-chairmen of the township and the Township People’s Congresses shall be elected by secret ballot by all the deputies. In terms of time, after the swearing-in ceremony, the election of the chairman and vice-chairman of the Town People’s Congress is carried out. In terms of the number of deputies required, more than half of the total number of deputies of the town should be present, and those who obtain more than half of the total number of votes should be elected. If no one is elected, a second ballot shall be held immediately, and those who obtain the most votes shall be elected. If the votes are equal, lots shall be drawn. If a by-election is needed, the method of voting is the same. If the number of deputies elected is less than one half of the total, the next election shall be immediately fixed, and the town representative shall be informed

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of this arrangement. At the third election, when more than one third of the elected representatives are present, an election shall be held among the actual number of persons, and those who obtain a higher number of votes shall be elected; if the votes are equal, lots shall be drawn for confirmation. After the election of the president and vice-presidents, the oath shall be taken on the day of the inauguration of both the second and the third elections. Any person who fails to take the oath in accordance with the provisions of the oath regulations shall be deemed to have not taken the oath. A chairman or vice-chairman of a township people’s representative may not be removed from office within one year. After one year, if more than one third of Puli Town’s representatives present and sign a recall case, they can enter the recall procedure within seven days after the original and duplicate recall cases are received by the Nantou County Government and send a copy to the Puli Town Council. The representatives of the town people will hand over a copy to the deposed person to reply within five days after receiving the copy. “If the accused has a reply, he shall, within seven days after receiving a copy of the reply, submit it to the county government, which shall print it together with the reply to the deputies, and may print it separately after the expiration of the time limit. The county government shall, within twentyfive days from the receipt of the recall case, call a recall voting meeting, and the representatives present shall vote by secret ballot on whether to agree to the recall or not, and more than half of the town’s representatives are required to attend”. If more than two-thirds of the total number of participants agree to the recall, the recall case shall be adopted; if the recall case is not adopted, the recall case shall not be raised again during the term of office of the person being recalled. When a recall case is held, if the president is removed, the vice-president shall be the president of the meeting; if the vice-president is removed, the president shall be the president of the meeting; if both the president and the vice-president are removed at the same time, one of the representatives present shall be the president. If a recall is required, the consent of more than two-thirds of the original signatories shall be obtained before the motion is brought to the meeting; after the motion is brought, the consent of all the original signatories shall be obtained, and the President shall consult all the members present and the deputies without objection, before it can be withdrawn. (3) Functions and powers of the Puli Town People’s Congress According to the “Local System Law,” the Puli Town People’s Congress decides on the statutes, budgets, provisional tax, disposition of property, regulations on the self-government of the town council, and the regulations on the self-government of the institutions to which the town council belongs, the matters proposed by the town council, the final accounts report of the town, and the matters proposed by the Town People’s representatives, to receive petitions from the people and to exercise such other functions and powers as may be prescribed by law or by regulations and rules at a higher level. At the regular meetings of the Town People’s Congress held every six months, the mayor is required to present a policy report and the heads of the units at all levels of the town office are required to report on their operations. The representatives of the residents of the town have the right to question the mayor or

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the head of the unit regarding their business. When a town people’s Congress is in session, and it is necessary to know about a particular matter, the mayor or the head of the unit may be invited to attend the meeting to make a statement. When it is necessary to know about a particular matter during the meeting of the Town People’s Congress group, the person in charge of the relevant unit other than the mayor may be invited to attend the meeting to make a statement.

2.2 Organizational Structure of the Puli Town Council Since the contents of the resolutions of the township councils are not as complicated as that of the resolutions of the county councils, the Puli Township People’s Congress has not set up a procedure committee, a disciplinary committee, a review committee and a special panel. According to article 25 of the “Regulations on the organization of the Municipal People’s Congress under the township and county governments of Taiwan Province” promulmend in November 1952, Puli “representatives will have a secretary, a clerk and an employee.” According to article 42 of the “Regulations on the organization of the Municipal People’s Congresses under the jurisdiction of townships, counties and towns in Taiwan Province,” which was amended in November 1963, “representatives of towns and counties under the jurisdiction of the city shall have one secretary and one to five members. Their staffing table shall be established by the provincial government on the basis of the number of representatives of towns and counties under the jurisdiction of the city.” There will be a secretary, a team member, and an employee. On July 14, 1977, due to the personnel reduction plan implemented by the Taiwan Provincial Government, only one member of the Puli Town People’s Congress was left, and according to the regulations, there was no vacancy for employees; only two people maintain the day-to-day work of the town council. In January 1999, after the implementation of the “Local system law,” Puli Town People’s representative will set up a secretary, two team members, a mechanic, a worker.

2.3 Operation of the Puli Town People’s Congress (1) The format of meetings of the Puli Town People’s Congress Regular meetings. Puli Town People’s Congress holds sessions that can be divided into regular meetings and temporary meetings. Regular meetings are held every six months in May and November, respectively. Except in each constituent assembly, the chairman convenes all the other assemblies. If the chairman is unable to convene the meeting, in accordance with the law, the vice-chairman convenes the Puli Town People’s Congress meeting every six months. If the vice-chairmen also cannot convene the meeting, the meeting shall be convened by a person nominated by a

2 The Emergence and Operation of the Puli Town People’s Congress

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majority of the members and representatives. The duration of the session shall not exceed 12 days. If, at the request of the mayor or at the request of the President or a member of Parliament or a representative of more than one third, the general budget of the commune is considered at regular meetings and the bill has not been considered at the end of the session, or if there is any other need, the session can be extended by a resolution of the General Assembly. The extended session shall not exceed five days and shall not be used for questioning. Temporary meeting. When an impromptu meeting is held, there are usually three kinds of situations. At the request of the mayor of Puli, at the request of more than a third of the town’s deputies, and at the request of the chairman of the town council. If an interim meeting is to be convened, the chairman of the Town People’s Congress shall convene it within ten days after receiving the request to convene it. According to the local system law, the council has fifteen days in a year. The duration of such meetings shall not exceed three days at a time and not more than five times per twelve-month period, including official holidays or meetings suspended. (2) Form of inquiry by the Puli Town Council At regular and ad hoc meetings, town representatives have the right to question the mayor of Puli and the governors. From the content of the inquiry, it can be divided into two categories: General Administration Inquiry and Business Inquiry, and from the object of inquiry, it can be divided into unit inquiry and Town Administration Inquiry. A unit inquiry is a query to the classrooms under the town council and the affiliated units that assist in handling the town’s self-government matters. A town administration inquiry is a query to the mayor of a town on major issues of town administration. In terms of the proportion of the duration of the inquiry to the total number of days in session, the sum of the number of days of Unit Inquiry and Town Hall Inquiry is one quarter of the total number of sessions. Unlike requests for extensions of regular sessions, questions are not extended by a majority of the representatives present, and extensions of time may be requested if necessary. From the way of inquiry, it can be divided into oral inquiry and written inquiry. Oral questions, more than one question-and-answer method, or joint questions can be adopted. The specific requirements of the inquiry. The oral inquiry shall be registered with the Secretary’s Office one day before the meeting and the Order of the inquiry shall be determined. Generally speaking, the Order of inquiry is determined according to the time of registration and printed by the Secretary’s office before the meeting and sent to the representatives of each town. If a representative needs to adjust the Order of inquiry, the representatives of both sides can be exchanged after consultation. Due to the limited duration of the session, to improve the efficiency of deliberations, the “Nantou County Puli Town People’s Congress organization of self-government regulations” provides that “The registered inquiry representative and the queried person can use a total time of 10 min. If the questioner is unable to complete the examination within the time fixed and the respondent is unable to complete the examination at the time fixed, they may seek the General Assembly’s advice to extend the examination period or ask and reply in writing. Those who have not yet

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appeared for the registration of the inquiry, as called by the President of the General Assembly three times, shall be deemed to have abstained, and the time for the inquiry shall be used by the representatives present. When the questions have been asked and there is time remaining, the representatives present may ask the questions on the same item in the order in which the president of the General Assembly speaks, in accordance with the rules of procedure of the representatives’ meeting.

3 Relationship Between Local Representatives of Public Opinion and Voters 3.1 Scope of Services (1) Constituencies: basic range of services Electoral districts are the “soil” created by local representatives of public opinion (county councilors and town representatives). Voters are the authorized persons of local representatives of public opinion to “Serve the people.” Local representatives of public opinion are supposed to serve the voters and listen to the voters. Otherwise, even if elected, they may be removed; even if elected for one term, it is difficult to seek re-election. To better serve the people of the county, Nantou County has divided Nantou City of 1 city, 4 towns, and 8 townships into 8 constituencies.7 In accordance with the “Local system law” on the proportion of local public opinion representatives and population, 37 seats are allocated to each constituency. In the fifth constituency, Puli Township, Guoxing Township, and Ren’ai Township, there are seven members (see Table 1), mainly in Puli and Guoxing Township. Members should respond in a timely manner to the needs of all electors in their constituencies. The office is set up in Puli. If necessary, members of the Legislative Council will contact and handle matters personally. Especially for many local public opinion representatives, “service regardless of blue and green” is the motto they follow to its consolidate votes, because winning more votes is the “magic weapon.” Service regardless of region, regardless of “blue” and “green”8 As a member of the County Council of the fifth constituency, voters in the townships of Puli, Guoxing, and Ren’ai call me if they need to, and I deal with them actively and seriously. If it is my duty, I am duty-bound to deal with any situation well; if it is beyond the scope of my service, or beyond my personal ability, I will advise them on what to do or help them contact other relevant people, coordinate as best as I can, and give the voters a favorable review. To be honest, it’s not easy being a pollster. Because I do a lot of good things for voters, even if there is one thing to does not satisfy a voter, he may give me a bad evaluation. This negative evaluation may soon spread, affect other people’s evaluation and judgment of me. Therefore, we believe in service “regardless of blue and green.” Although it is not as convenient to serve Kwok Sing township and Ren’ai as it is to serve Puli, I cannot ignore or reject these two constituencies.

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Table 1 Members of the fifth constituency of Nantou County Alderman

Political parties

Educational background

Experience

Communications division

Pan Yiquan

Kuomintang

Graduated from the Toko University

Nantou County Council 14, 15, 16, 17th Deputy Speaker

186 Zhonghua Road, Tai’an, Puli

Liao Zhicheng

Democratic Progressive Party

Graduated from the Puli High School

Head of the DPP Nantou 200 Chi Keung County Party department, Road, Tai’an, Puli Nantou County Council 15, 16, 17 Term member

Qiu Meiling

Kuomintang

Graduated from The Nan Kai University of Technology

State working committee for Township Women,Kuomintang19th

30 Guoxing Street, Shek Mun Village, Guoxing, Number 19

Puli high school graduate

16th and 17th Nantou County Council

621,Third Section of Zhongshan Road, Dacheng, Puli

Wu Guochang

Wang Caiyun

Kuomintang

Associate of the Nan Kai University of Technology

15th, 16th, and 17th members of the Nantou County

21 Shui Tau Road, Shui Tau, Puli

Xu A-gan

Democratic Progressive Party

Manager of Tourism Industry Jinan University, Credit class

Nantou County Council 14, 15, 16, 17th Senator Section

318, Zhongshan Road, Dacheng, Puli

Lin Fangyu

Kuomintang

National Chi Nan University Public Administration, Master’s degree

Chairman and representative of Puli Town Council

No. 77, First Street, Dongxing, Puli Town

(2) Ticket warehouse: the focus of the service For public officials, the key to successful election and re-election lies in the number of votes cast in their constituencies. There are various administrative levels in the constituency. For example, in the hilly and mountainous area of Nantou County’s fifth constituency, the townships of Puli, Kwok Sing, and Yan Oi cover an area of about 1,600 square kilometers. There are 62 villages, 921 neighborhoods, and 115,000 people. Due to the limited service radius, many county councilors focus on the service in the township where they live. The same is true from a rational point of view. I live in a region that is not only relatively familiar with the electorate, but also has relatively diverse connections between the electorate and their representatives. To ensure that their votes are not lost is to ensure the basic plate of votes. Such areas are known locally as “ticket booths.” In Nantou County’s fifth electoral district, Puli has more than 80,000 people, compared with about 20,000 for Guoxing and Ren’ai. As a result, candidates for county council seats tend to focus their elections on Puli. Candidates such as Liao

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3 Local Councils and Self-Government in Nantou County

Zhicheng, Pan Yiquan, Antonio Ng, Wang Caiyun, Xu Agan, and Lin Fangwei, all from the town of Puli, have their votes concentrated in Puli. The six members received 17.39%, 12.73%, 11.52%, 10.55%, 10.37%, and 10.11% of the votes, respectively, in Puli. This shows that in the fifth constituency of the county council election, if a candidate can firmly grasp the votes in Puli in this “Warehouse,” they can be elected smoothly. Members such as Liao zhicheng, Pan yiquan, and Wu guochang more than 5,000 votes in Puli alone, which is close to the votes of the seventh elected member (5,201) of the constituency. In contrast, Qiu Meiling received the largest number of votes in 2014, 31.99% of the 12,118 valid votes cast (see Table 2). Perhaps the most important factor is that Ms. Chiu has her “roots” in Guoxing. In comparison with Puli, Qiu meiling is more well-known among this the Guoxing township and is more easily understood and known by Guoxing’s voters. As a result, her vote rate in the Guoxing township was higher than that in Puli. In the election of township deputies, the phenomenon of “vote warehouse” also exists. In 2014, for example, Villages from Puli’s first constituency (see Table 3) received 30% of the vote in their respective villages. Pan Wanfu, the Pipa Village, got 1,432 of the 4,504 valid votes; and Zeng Lingxi, the city Village, got 526 of the 1,768 valid votes. Judging by the number of Villages in Puli’s first constituency, Pan won easily with the votes he won in Pipa. Die-hard “Ballot box”9 In our second constituency, there are a total of eight villages (sub-districts), including Ximen Li, Nanmen Li, Beimen Li, Beian Li, Beimei Li, Taian Li, Daxin Li, and Wugong Li, and four town representatives. Since the constituency is large size, the eight leagues are geographically distant. It would be hard to cover all of them. There are individual town representatives from the re-election point of view of rational design, responsible only for their own in and around the villages (sub-districts), relatively far from the villages (sub-districts), with less attention given to sub-districts. In fact, judging from the votes, with one’s own iron “ballot box,” the other votes do not matter. Of course, the more you get, the merrier. In addition, no matter what kind of elected representative you are, if you want to hold on to your current position, or want to run for re-election, you have to work hard. The fact that the individual town representatives in our constituency are so self-willed is also based on their relatively stable sources of votes among us.

(3) Isolated areas: limited scope of services Judging from the location and population of the three townships in Nantou County’s fifth electoral district, Puli covers an area of 162.2227 km, with 233 villages (subdistricts), 567 adjacent, 80,408 people, and has a population density of 496 km2 ; Guoxing Township covers an area of 175.7042 square kilometers and has 13 villages, 159 neighbors, and 18,699 people with a population density of 106 people/square kilometer; Ren’ai Township covers an area of 1,273.5312 square kilometers and has 16 villages, 195 neighbors, and 15,954 people, with a population density of 13 persons/km2 .10 From an economic point of view, serving the electorate in Puli is relatively competent executive authoritiesized, small in scope, and relatively low in cost. However, for the relatively remote places, the service cost increases with the expanding service radius. Especially to build a network of resources in parts other

1,884

Ren’ai

2,752

16,583 71.15

75.13

19.37%

11.36%

6.12% 365

5.02% 214

742

608

8.12%

153

31.99%

3877

6.03%

2653

6683

9.50%

179

8.61%

1043

11.52%

5066

6288

Wu Guochang

12.21%

230

6.08%

737

10.55%

4640

5607

Wang Caiyun

9.55%

180

6.26%

758

10.37%

4559

5497

Xu A’gam

Note Information is based on the 2014 County and city councilor election results (http://db.cec.gov.tw/histmain.jsp?v=20141101C2)

1,958

12,459

12.73%

12,118

5597

17.39%

Guoxing

44,855

7645

43,964

Puli 69.65

6704

8476

64,397

Pan Yiquan

Qiu Meiling

Individual vote-getter and vote-getter Turnout

Liao Zhicheng

Number of electors

Effective Number of votes

Number of votes

Overall voting situation by township

Towns

Table 2 Votes obtained by elected members of the fifth constituency of Nantou County in 2014 (unit: tickets, %)

8.55%

161

4.93%

597

10.11%

4443

5201

Lin Fangyu

3 Relationship Between Local Representatives of Public Opinion and Voters 65

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3 Local Councils and Self-Government in Nantou County

Table 3 Deputies of the first constituency town, Puli Town, Nantou County, in 2014 (unit: tickets,%) Huang Yangzheng

Pan Wanfu

Cai Shufen

Wu Shenghui

Zeng Lingxi

Total valid votes

Total number of votes

1712

2,098

1163

1594

2,097

12,699

Dongmen Li

70

49

58

34

93

481

63

51

102

35

63

536

130

83

131

46

96

776

106

58

120

64

255

828

144

98

90

82

271

940

87

216

65

42

150

749

44

164

21

16

102

508

61

360

50

26

117

813

78

250

70

68

79

748

117

217

68

56

110

831

148

225

77

41

130

855

103

94

46

108

101

701

118

73

49

115

91

707

114

66

33

415

114

971

Qilin Li

183

33

56

84

130

705

Zhuge Li

63

24

51

203

99

764

Xinan Li

83

37

76

159

96

786

Pacheng Li Pipa Li

Shuitou Li

Note Information is based on the 2014 County and city councilor election results (http://db.cec.gov. tw/histmain.jsp?v=20141101D2)

than their familiar places, there is a need to invest more energy and cost. To this end, for rational public representatives, the focus of service is in the more familiar areas (acquaintance society) to consolidate their votes; for relatively remote villages, to render some service within the capacity, on the one hand, they can expand their voter base, and on the other hand, they can expand their social influence.

3.2 Service Content (1) Public opinion As “Representatives of public opinion” elected by county people and Town people, the primary duty of Nantou County Councilors and representatives of towns and villages is to reflect public opinion and convey the reasonable demands of the people, through the representatives of public opinion to the relevant government departments.

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According to the public opinion reflected, it can be divided into the public opinion of special groups and the general public opinion. The so-called special public opinion refers to the common demands of some groups. For example, the roads in a certain area are in bad shape, and so on. The policy of the town hall affects the life of the residents in a certain village, for example, if the waterway in a certain village is impassable, a certain industry can be negatively affected, and so on. Universal popular opinion refers to the problems faced by the voters of the whole administrative region (Nantou County, Puli, etc.). They include problems relating to air pollution, public transportation, environmental protection, global economic development, and so on. In addition to issues of public concern, different county councilors and town representatives have different concerns. If Pan Yiquan (deputy speaker) is particularly concerned about sports in Nantou County, it may also be because he is president of the Asian Softball Federation and President of the Nantou County Sports Association. Xu A-gan has long been concerned about education, culture, health, and environmental protection issues in Nantou County. Wu Guochang is also concerned about economic development, education advancement, and, in particular, the drug problem. He hopes that drugs will no longer poison the community. This is closely linked to his experience of having been sentenced to three years and three months in prison for drug offences. Qiu Meiling is particularly concerned about infrastructure and the protection of Hakka People’s culture, which may be because of the relatively backward economic development of the region where she lives. Like County Councilors, town representatives are concerned about being closer to the lives of voters, as well as about certain issues based on personal interests or experiences. For example, He Huijuan is especially concerned about the protection and rescue of animals, as his family adopted several injured stray dogs. The senator’s diary11 October 5, 2018 Nantou County Council, I remain concerned about the air pollution problem in Taizhong County caused by the fossil-fuel power station: Taizhong’s fossil-fuel power station burns 16,000 tons of raw coal a day, 10,000 times as much as the entire county of Nantou County, leaving Nantou County residents to die a slow death. In addition to lung cancer and adenocarcinoma of the lung, the death rate due to “chronic lower respiratory disease” in Nantou County is unexpectedly the highest in Taiwan, and they are all related to fine suspended particulates (PM 2.5) and other dangerous factors. It is obvious that the fossil-fuel power station air in Taizhong is harmful for the health of the county residents. Therefore, to defend the rights and interests of the county people, the county government intends to file an administrative lawsuit against the fossil-fuel power station of Taizhong, hoping that the people will come forward and join them in expressing their serious protests and efforts to safeguard their health and quality of life.

(2) Governance oversight Whether it is a county councilor or a representative of the town people, the duty of an elected representative is to be the “mouthpiece of the people.” Local representatives of public opinion have both the right and the duty to supervise the government’s policies,

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methods, and processes on behalf of the people, whether during the convening of County Councils or Town People’s Congresses or during non-sessions. During the regular sessions, the chief of the county, the mayor of the general policy report, and the unit in charge of the operational questions are such cases. During the non-meeting period, members of the County Council and representatives of the town people may, in the light of a specific policy measure, directly raise objections to the head of the county, the mayor of the town, and the head of the relevant functional department, and request explanations from the other party. For example, in 2017, when Puli Town Office planned to build a funeral home in Wugong Seventh Cemetery, it was questioned by the Town People’s representatives, and even met with protests from the Town People’s representatives and some people.12 In 2018, the Puli Town Office awarded 108 projects in three months, because the former mayor, Ma Wenjun, in the “Custody period” of the project contract 20, was questioned by the township representatives. In October of the same year, because of the cooperation between the town office and the state-owned property office, the stateowned land 47, 48, and 51 in the north men section of Puli was passed in the form of Bot, Chenmei International Development Co., Ltd. to operate the “Art Hotel,” and the hotel construction required transplanting an old tree, which was opposed by the representatives of the town and nearby residents. What is the point of “Chief Secretary taking turns”?13 Puli resident representative He Huijuan produced charts and released a film on the Internet, saying that Puli Mayor Zhou Yixiong had been promoted to four principal secretaries in one year and three months and was suspected of using public office as a means of remuneration. He huijuan, a representative of the people of Puli Town, produced charts and made films to challenge the fact that the mayor of Puli, Zhou Yixiong, used his official position as a means of payment. Four Directors’ secretaries were promoted from eight-level heads to nine-level heads. Taxpayers would have to pay an extra $4.32 million for this controversial arrangement if they had been in office for 10 years and retired for 10 years. No response was received regarding the questions on behalf of the town as Zhou Yixiong’s mobile phone and telephone line connection was disrupted. Zhou Yixiong will retire from office on December 25. However, personnel changes have been quite frequent in the past year or so. A number of division chiefs have been promoted to the rank of principal secretary in turn. He Huijuan prepared a chart indicating that within one year and three months, the Puli Town office was promoted to having four principal secretaries, namely, Cai Shenghua, director of the Autonomous Department, who was promoted to principal secretary on August 2, 2017, and Feng Yufen, director of the Finance Department, who took office in April 2018 after a lapse of more than eight months, less than five months apart; in September 2018, Huang Muliang, the cleaning team leader, was promoted to the position of Chief Secretary. What’s more, Huang Muliang was promoted to the position of chief secretary in less than two months. In November 2018, Lu Jianhong, the personnel director, was promoted to the position of Chief Secretary, and this led to the main secretary, unexpectedly, returning to his original position. He huijuan criticized the opening of the history of local autonomy in Nantou, with the quick promotion to the position of Director Secretary, setting a record of the shortest term of the chief secretary and the frequent changes in the position of the Chief Secretary; she said this was leading to converting the current civil servants in the civil service department from the

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69

table, and he recommended that a section officer at Salary Point 630 of the eighth grade be promoted to the post of principal secretary at Salary Point 670 of the ninth grade. In such a case, even if he returns to his original post as a section officer, he will still receive salary and professional bonus at the ninth grade. It is conservatively estimated that, if a civil servant has been in service for 10 years and retired for 10 years, they will receive an additional 1.08 million yuan even if the system changes the year after retirement. The annual replacement rate will be reduced by 1.5%, Zhou Yixiong will receive public money as a reward, and taxpayers for the four “Water master secret” through this strange personnel arrangements would have to pay 4.32 million yuan. He huijuan said that the experience of civil servants, especially those in charge, needs to be passed on. It is like starting a company. If personnel changes are frequent, subordinates are under loss. They must adapt again, which is detrimental to the overall development of the company. Zhou Yixiong has been promoted to the rank of principal secretary so often that one cannot help but suspect that he treats his position in the civil service as a joke or as a means of remuneration. Or that he is unable to identify the right person and appoints the wrong person. She will hand over the information to the civil service department hoping that the mayor of the week would explain why the “Director Secretary takes turns, to do” what?

(3) Construction ahead In order to promote the development of various undertakings in the county and town areas, especially the issues of roads, ditches, streetlamps, and other infrastructure, Basic Education, industrial development, and environmental pollution, which are closely related to people’s lives, local public opinion representatives need to pay attention to and push forward actively for all in the right direction. For example, in the 19th Puli Town People’s Congress, the representative of Pan Yinghui made 65 proposals in four years, becoming the town people’s representative with the most proposals in that session.14 Judging from the contents of Representative Pan’s proposal, they revolve around ditches, street lights, parking lots, road signs, traffic safety warning signs, building waste disposal sites, public transport stops, self-government ordinances, electronic sightseeing boards, cement flowerpots to beautify the environment, road patrol mechanisms in the town after heavy rain, and the addition of fire hydrants to the “Management of the use of assembly houses and community activity centers in Puli.” Through appeal and promotion of the Township People’s representatives, through the communication of relevant departments, respectively, by the higher-level government, notices were issued for implementation by the Parliament or the relevant functional departments. Partial implementation of the proposal submitted by the Township People’s representatives15 From: “Third River Water Resources Agency” date: April 21, 2000 Purpose: The statement regarding the agreement price for the “New construction project of the upstream and downstream levees of Meixi to Shanqiao” was made at the desk of the Bureau. The compensation amount of the above-ground property for the above-ground property survey of the project was handled last year (1999), and now new electrical facilities on the Land, whether the amount of assessment can be increased was the question. Author: Puli Town Office, Nantou County, date of posting: August 25, 2000

70

3 Local Councils and Self-Government in Nantou County Main Idea: Land demarcated as No. 605 and No. 606 in Guangming section of the third market of this town. From: Nantou County Council, Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, full service, issue date: May 02, 2001 Main objective: Zhang Pan Jinxin is located at No. 0667, Fuxing section, Fuxing district, Pan Li Zhen–irrigation drainage ditch improvement project. From: “Taiwan legislator Ma Wenjun congressional office.” Issue date: June 15, 2001 Main Idea: Urgent need for slope engineering in the 3 and 4 adjacent areas of Beiliao of Hecheng li, Puli Town, Nantou County From: Nantou District Office, Taiwan Electric Power Co., Ltd. Date of posting: June 23, 2001 Main objective: The repair and paving of the underground AC under the manhole of the land under the maintenance road platform 14 line 51K to 54K was completed on June 15.

3.3 Form of Service (1) During sessions Whether it is a regular meeting held every six months or a temporary meeting held no more than five times a year, county councilors and town representatives have the right to make comments and suggestions on the local governor’s governance programs and processes. As mentioned above, the self-government statutes, budgets, management, and disposition of public property and the organizational rules of the institutions to which they belong need to be reviewed by the county and township councils before they can be executed. The final accounts of the local government at the end of the year shall also be examined by the county council and the Town People’s Congress. County councilors and town representatives may also raise questions on specific questions raised by the government, to which the other party may respond orally or provide a written explanation. “Business Report and review of the units of the first review conference”16 Excerpts from the unit questions raised by the Nantou County Council at its 6th regular meeting of the 18th session Liao Zhicheng says: Thank You, Chairman, Chief Executives of the first review committee, secretary-general Chen, all the reporters present, ladies and gentlemen, Hello, everyone. I would like to extend our question raised by Hon law and Hon Hui, that is, in the new southbound policy, in fact, will the sons of our new residents, in the future, be able to cooperate with the education department along with the Social Welfare Department? For instance, many communities are coming into the campus, bringing “mother tongue” teaching into the campus, because we have a lot of Taiwanese businessmen who need Taiwanese cadres. In the future, these new resident children can learn this mother tongue well, and after graduation, can go to Vietnam and the Philippines to serve as a cadre. I would like to ask director Wu about the promotion of mother tongue. Do you have any idea?

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71

Chairman and vice-speaker Pan Yiquan says: Please reply to director Wu. The director of Home Affairs, Wu Yanling says: I would like to thank the chairman of the Home Affairs Department and the Honorable Liao for his interest in the business of new residents. I have just reported to the General Assembly that some of the new residents in the Home Affairs Department are mainly new residents’ undergoing life adjustment counseling. This year there will be two classes in Shui Shui Kuo, mainly for language training, because when any new resident comes to Taiwan, the most important thing is language for communication. Councilor Liao Zhi-cheng says: You can only do it in Shuili . There are no other towns. There are more than 8,000 new residents in Nantou County, and over 1,000 people in Puli, that is, to promote mother tongue teaching in the community, as we used to promote speaking Mandarin. In fact, uh, you need to promote more effectively, to help our Taiwanese businessmen in the future. Now, some of the sons of the new residents are afraid to speak their mother tongue in school for fear of being laughed at by others, so I’m going to ask the education department here if they want to promote mother tongue teaching and integrate with the villages and towns. Next year, I hope to be able to hold such an event in 13 towns; Commissioner, is this possible for you to organize? Director of Home Affairs Wu Yanling says: I will report to members that, in principle, each township will take turns. This year, Held in ShuiLi and Guoxing township. Next year, we will look at which townships are in need, and then we will do it again. Member Liao Zhicheng says: This way, we would need to hurry up and continue to do it one by one, OK? That’s how it lasts. Have a seat. Then, there is the name of Taiwanese Plains Aborigines. Or Puli four Zhuang accounted for how many Taiwanese Plains Aborigines population? The so-called four villages?

On issues of general concern to the general public, members of Parliament and representatives of the town people will make targeted recommendations to the chief executive in the Parliament or the council. The growing number of fossil-fuel power stations operating in Taizhong, for example, and the growing number of cancer cases around them have forced people to pay attention to PM2.5. In the interest of the health of the people of Nantou County, Congressman Antonio Ng, at the 6th regular meeting of the 18th County Council, suggested to the Governor of Lin Mingzhen, “All of our teams, all of our colleagues in the legislature, we must unite to protest against the fossil-fuel power station of Taizhong for the health of our county,” Lin Mingzhen responded, “Stick to the anti-Taizhong fossil-fuel power station, cut it down, no more!”.17 (2) Daily interaction Service call. According to the “Local system law,” each county councilor can set up his own service office and arrange special personnel remuneration. Each of the seven county councilors in the fifth district has their own service office, either in their own home or in a separate rented house, and staff on duty area assigned every day to receive complaints and requests for assistance from voters. The on-duty personnel go to and from work normally according to the working hours of the civil servants. For the staff on duty of the service, no matter who visits (regardless of the other party, blue and green) warm service will be provided. All voters in the district are potential

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3 Local Councils and Self-Government in Nantou County

“Votes” for county councilors. However, the town people representative does not have a specialized service office, and many of them operate from their home. Make frequent visits to the constituency. As far as the local public representatives are concerned, the people in the constituency, whether they are natural persons or institutional bodies, are their own voters. Only through more meetings and more communication can they know about themselves, understand themselves, and support themselves. To this end, all local public opinion representatives will actively visit the constituency streets, community centers, and other public places to attend various activities. If the constituency is large, or if you are busy with other business, you will ask the Director of your service office to attend on your behalf. If necessary, you will send a gift signed “So-and-so member, Representative.” For example, in the 31 days of July 2018, according to incomplete statistics, there are as many as 35 agenda items, of which a maximum of 4 items are sorted each day. In every corner of Puli, activities cover agricultural development, education, arts and cultural activities, infrastructure construction, senior citizens’ associations, sports competitions, religious activities, environmental protection activities, medical services, and administrative activities (party activities) (see Table 4). News photos on the Congressman’s Facebook page also show other lawmakers (and even members of different parties) and town representatives attending the event together. In the abovementioned activities, members actively make use of their status as guests to make speeches, appeal to their political views, and distribute their own publicity materials. Internet+. Due to limited face-to-face communication opportunities, in the information age and the internet age, local voters with problems often reach out to local public opinion representatives via phone calls, Facebook or Line, among other social media. In order to obtain more information, local public opinion representatives actively joined the line groups of various social organizations or social groups in the constituency, such as the 50 Jia community, Cien community, Zhuzaishan community and other community groups, the Lions Clubs International, the Lions Club of Shan Ming, the Lions Club of Nalu Bay, etc., Puli Tourism Association, Tour Guide and Interpretation Association, Tourism Association and other groups, “Nantou News,” “Dapu News,” and other official groups. In various groups, local public opinion representatives actively pay attention to the topics and dynamics of voters’ concern and respond positively. (3) Funding Push To promote local construction, local representatives of public opinion seek funding through various channels. For example, county councilors may seek funding from the Nantou County Government by submitting proposals to the local town council; town representatives may seek funding from the local town council, or they may represent their personal relationships through local public opinion and solicit project funds from the higher government. The so-called “Members’ matching funds” refers to the funds allocated by local governments according to their applications for local construction proposals. In other words, if there is a local demand, you can take it up with the county councilor, who “proposes” government funding. Because of the delicate relationship between local governments and local councilors, although the

3 Relationship Between Local Representatives of Public Opinion and Voters

73

Table 4 Schedules of county councilors July 201818 1-Jul

Foca Formosa Circus

2-Jul

Sustainable Passion Fruit Resources Forum and steering committee meeting Puli Farmers’ Association Agricultural Affairs Group cum farmers’ health insurance business and agricultural credit education and promotion conference

3-Jul

Wugong Li Community Center, Puli

5-Jul

Puli town office “Puli Community Building” activities

6-Jul

Opening ceremony of the summer session

7-Jul

A Tea Party for teachers Zheng Lianyu and Wang Qingzhi

8-Jul

Lions Club activities; 13th Tai Ping Primary School Students’ Club, Puli

10-Jul “Spring Wind on Paper” calligraphy exhibition 11-Jul Puli-wing Chinese Medicine cum community outreach program 12-Jul In Shuitou and Lancheng drainage ditch survey 13-Jul Blood donation at Puli donor center; Puli Old People’s Association birthday celebration 14-Jul 2018 Taiwan Heart Basketball Championship opening ceremony 15-Jul Puli River Ecological Conservation Association 17-Jul the grand event of temple culture in Puli Town, the mother of the six chambers in the sky lay in ruins; the activities of the Phlox and longevity care association 19-Jul “One person, one dish activity” of Houxiong coffee; activity center of Puli Town Boya City community 21-Jul President’s birthday banquet; NANCUN community “Rub rice table” activities; Can Gao Changqing painting and calligraphy society activities Friedrich Fröbel Kindergarten 27th graduation ceremony 22-Jul Shuitou good community for community activities United County Council of Puli; Cien Community Assembly and competent executive authorities Chinese orchestra training 25-Jul The candidates are at the Puli Town Hall presentation at the Wugong Li community 26-Jul Momiri “Nina Chocolate Dream Castle” opening ceremony 27-Jul Little Sun Kindergarten graduation ceremony 28-Jul Puli Christian Hospital event; town kindergarten graduation ceremony 29-Jul “Premier of the Competent executive authorities” inspection activities 31-Jul Cai Peihui and principal Hou of Shigang primary school met

“Proposal” submitted by the councilors is approved by the county and city governments, the councilors have no decision-making power, but they perform the functions of both budget proposal and budget review, and local governments are generally supportive of “matching funds.”19 Matching funds. According to the “List of items to be handled by the Nantou County Government in 2018 (January-June)”20 published by the county government’s controller’s office, a total of NT $158.383 million was allocated in the first half of the year, ranging from NT $10,000 per direction to NT $1.1 million. Zhushan

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3 Local Councils and Self-Government in Nantou County

won NT $1.1 m for his constituency (drainage improvement project at No. 6, 97, Tai Yee Street, Yanhe), Pan Yiquan, Deputy Speaker of the National People’s Congress, received NT $1,000,000 for his constituency, I.e Guoxing (opening of rural roads for residents, such as No. 222-222-1 Guoxing Road). Of this amount, NT $28.502 million was allocated for the fifth constituency. At the township level, the representatives of the township residents also have matching funds. For example, the Puli town government allocated a total NT $8.144 million quota in the first three quarters of 2018. For additional resources. In addition to making use of the channels of “Matching funds,” local public opinion representatives also actively use personal contacts and resources and report to the administrative authorities at the next higher level, or to the legal person of a consortium, or other social organizations or even companies to obtain additional resources. Liao Zhicheng through Nantou County Government, wrote to the Education Administration (No. 20180144648), to the county Nanguang primary school “in 2018 to improve and strengthen the teaching environment equipment-the new area of parents pick-up shelter project.” The total budget of the project was NT $2.7 million, and a subsidy of NT $2.403 million was granted, with a subsidy rate of 89%. In the 2018 “Nine-in-one election,” Liao Zhicheng changed his running track to run for mayor.

Notes 1.

2. 3.

4.

5. 6.

In the first election of county councillors in 1951, 30 councillors shall be elected for a term of two years, while in the second election the number of councillors shall be increased to 32 for a term of two years due to a slight increase in population. The number of members to be elected in the third term shall be increased to 34 for a term of three years; the number of members to be elected in the fourth term shall be increased to 37 for a term of three years; and the number of members to be elected in the fifth term shall be 36 for a term of three years; The quota for the sixth term was increased to 38 and the term was changed to four years. The 8th term was reduced to 37 members for a four-year term due to a change in the criteria for the number of members. The number of members and the term of office remain unchanged. The materials are quoted in the bulletin of the Nantou County Council, Issue 84 of the 18th session. The 921 earthquake affordable housing project is an affordable housing project built by the Nantou County Government to support the victims of the 921 earthquake to stand on their own feet and take care of the needy victims and needy ethnic groups. In accordance with the “Nantou County Property Management Autonomy Regulations,” the Nantou County Government, “Nantou County, 921 earthquake affordable housing project sale plan”. Article 39, Paragraph 4, of the law on local systems provides that “An interim meeting shall be convened within seven days of the adjournment of the session and a resolution shall be made within three days of the opening of the session.” Nantou County Council, Issue 83. The president of the county (City) council shall be paid according to the salary of the county (City) mayor, the professional salary and the position of the supervisor. The vice-president of a county (City) council shall be paid by reference to the principal salary, professional salary and executive position of the deputy county (City) president. County (City) members of the council referred to the county (City) government units in charge of simple eleven levels of this

Notes

7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

13. 14.

15. 16. 17. 18.

19.

20.

75

salary level and professional bonus. The chairman of a township (town, Town-RPeopleople’s representative committee shall be paid by reference to the present salary of the township (to Town-RRB-own) mayor, the professional bonus and the post of supervisor. The vice-chairmen of the township (town or municipal) People’s Congress shall be awarded salaries, professional allowances and administrative duties by reference to the vice-mayors under the county or municipal jurisdiction. Representatives of the township (town, City) People’s Congress shall be appointed to the eighth grade and professional bonus with reference to the head of the township (town, City) public office. The so-called “Professional plus”, refers to the general civil service professional plus (similar to the China mainland’s “Allowance”). Refer to the “Nantou County Puli Town People’s Congress organizational self-government regulations”. Audio Recording of interview on July 8, 2018. Audio Recording of interview on August 5, 2018. Source: Ministry of the Interior, Department of Household Administration, Global Information Network, https://www.ris.gov.tw/app/portal/346. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003017573090&ref=br_rs. In 2017, Puli Town office plans to build a funeral parlour in Wugong Lane Seventh Cemetery. Due to the lack of hinterland, it will propose to the Congress to purchase the funeral parlour through an agreement price, about 66.9 million yuan to obtain the surrounding Cihuitang, Cixiaotang nearly 2,782 ping of two private agricultural and pastoral land. According to the “Real price inquiry service network of real estate transactions of the Ministry of the Interior,” the average land price at that time was about 10,000 yuan per ping, but the public office purchased the land from Zhou Yixiong’s good friend Zhang Guozhen at a price much higher than the market price of 23,800 yuan per ping, the move was strongly opposed by Wugong in the people, and doubt whether there is a transfer of interest. In addition, as the funeral parlour is close to the water source and Lei Yue Tam Scenic Area, there may be impact on the environment and business opportunities in the future. On the afternoon of April 12, 2017, in response to the request of Wugong Limin, Nantou County Puli Town Public Office held a briefing, Mayor Zhou Yixiong for the purchase of land for the query response limin. https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20181119003418-260407?fbclid=IwAR3MaDX gnw4sxoLrCjec3w8ZJdpKXv1JTXLR7yTZp8kPK-PFEx1CTqsAzBc. In the 18th and 19th Municipal People’s Congresses, the number of proposals put forward by Pan Yinghui is the first. 43 proposals for the 18th session (26 proposals for the 2nd and 19 proposals for the 3rd) and 65 proposals for the 19th session (54 proposals for the 2nd and 35 proposals for the 3rd). From the election manifesto of the People’s representative in Pan Yinghui, Puli. Nantou County Council, Issue 83. Ibid. The calendar was compiled from the Congressman’s Facebook page. In order to reduce the impact of the 2018 “Nine-in-one election” on the daily activities of this member of Parliament, the author selected the activity records from July 1 to 31, 2018 (illustrated with photos). Although the same as the “Matching funds”, but the local governments call it different, such as “Members’ proposal funds”, “Grass-roots construction matching funds”, “Local construction proposed by members of the matter”. Many local people think: the proposed money has been the county and city leaders to curry favor with the supervisor, dredge the members of the tool, for years for outside criticism, disguised as the members of the election of a solid silver bullet. Information from the Nantou County Government website (visit https://www.nantou.gov.tw/ big5/downloaddetail.asp?mcid=112898), 23 November 2018.

Chapter 4

Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County

Government Finance (or public finance), including government revenue and expenditure, is one of the main ways for the government to achieve the goal of economic policy and provide public goods and services. For the local governments and grassroots governments of Nantou County and Puli, which have implemented local autonomy, ensuring the normal operation of the government on the basis of seeking benefits for the people of the county and the town has become an important part of the local self-government.

1 General Financial Situation of Nantou County and Township 1.1 Content and Classification of Revenue of the Nantou County and Town Governments Nantou County Government Article 64 of the “Local System Law” stipulates that the income of counties and cities may fall into 11 categories. It includes tax revenue, project benefit fee income, fine and compensation income, fee income, trust management income, property income, business surplus and enterprise income, subsidy and assistance income, donation and gift income, autonomous tax revenue, and other income. According to the actual situation of this county, and in accordance with the provisions of the “Local system law,” the Nantou County Government imposes land tax, housing tax, license tax, stamp duty, alcohol and tobacco tax, Nantou County Council Tax, special tax, and so on. For example, the Nantou County Government revenue for 2017 was NT $8,776,636 (see Table 1).

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_4

77

78

4 Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County

Table 1 Nantou County General Budget Summary of revenue sources by budget, 2017 (unit: NT $1,000) Regular door

Subjects 款

Capital men

Total

项

Name Taxable income

8,776,636

–

8,776,636

1

Land Tax

1,175,153

–

1,175,153

1 2

Housing Tax

322,116

–

322,116

3

Use license tax

1,449,154

–

1,449,154

4

Stamp duty

78,641

–

78,641

5

Tobacco and alcohol duty

179,288

–

179,288

6

Overall distribution tax

5,322,284

–

5,322,284

7

Special Tax

250,000

–

250,000

Penalty and compensation income

244,163

–

244,163

2 1

Fines and penalties

244,130

–

244,130

2

Confiscation of property

1

–

1

3

Compensation income 32

–

32

Fee income

177,364

–

177,364

1

Revenue from administrative fees

122,152

–

122,152

2

Fee income

55,212

–

55,212

Property income

44,337

230,000

274,337

1

Fruits of property

44,077

–

44,077

2

Sale price of property

–

230,000

230,000

3

Sale price of waste materials

260

–

260

Operating surplus and business income

1,004,534

–

1,004,534

1

Surplus deposit of Business Fund

100

–

100

2

Surplus deposit of non-operating special fund

3

4

5

Account for

(continued)

1 General Financial Situation of Nantou County and Township

79

Table 1 (continued) Regular door

Capital men

Grant and assistance income

1,004,434

11,480,607

Income from government subsidies at a higher level

11,480,607

-

11,480,607

–

2

Subjects 款

项

6 1

7

Donations and income 2 from donations 1

Donation income

1

–

1

2

Gift income

1

–

1

Other income

107,437

–

107,437

1

Tuition and fees income

36,144

–

36,144

2

Miscellaneous income 71,293

–

71,293

230,000

22,065,080

8

Total

Total

Account for

Name

21,835,080

Compilation of the general budget of municipalities and counties (cities) in 2018, https://www. dgbas.gov.tw/ct.asp?xitem=42937&ctnode=4971&mp=1

There are seven types of income in addition to tax income, such as fine and compensation income (fine and penalty, loss and confiscation of property, compensation income), fee income (administrative fee income, use fee income), income from property (interest on property, sale price of property, sale price of waste materials), business surplus and business income (surplus of business fund and surplus of non-business Special Fund), income from grants and assistance (income from government grants at a higher level), income from donations and gifts (income from donations and gifts), and other income (income from tuition and miscellaneous fees, miscellaneous income). According to the revenue sources of the 2017 Nantou County Government total budget, the higher-level government subsidy income accounts for more than half (52.03%) of the total annual revenue budget, and the tax revenue accounts for 39.78%, nearly 40% of the total annual revenue budget. The sum of the two types of income accounts for more than 90% (91.81%) of the total annual income budget. Penalty and compensation income, fee income, property income, operating surplus and business income, and other income accounted for 1.11, 0.80, 1.24, 4.55, and 0.49% of the total annual revenue, respectively. The donation and gift income is only NT $20 million, accounting for almost 0% of the total annual income budget. This shows that in the implementation of local self-government in Nantou County, the normal operation of the government cannot be separated from the higher government’s financial support. Perhaps Nantou County, as a mountainous county in the island, is less well located and less well connected than the coastal counties, and its economic development is in the middle reaches of the Taiwan region and requires

80

4 Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County

the support of higher authorities. For example, the 2018 revenue budget ranks 11th out of 22 counties and cities in Taiwan.1 In this regard, Article 69 of the “Local System Law” stipulates that, “In order to achieve balanced local development, local governments at higher levels should give subsidies to those with poorer financial resources, and local governments with better financial resources should receive assistance funds.” However, “when local governments at various levels have sources of revenue that they can collect according to law but do not, their higher-level governments may reduce their subsidies at their discretion; for those who have made efforts to open up financial resources with results, their higher-level governments may increase their subsidies at their discretion.”

Content and Classification of Revenue of Puli Town Office Article 65 of the Local Systems Act states that, the income of a township (town or city) mainly includes the income from taxation, the income from project benefit fees, the income from fines and compensations, the income from fees, the income from trust management, the income from property management, the income from business surplus and business enterprise, the income from subsidies, the income from donations and gifts, the income from autonomous taxation, and other income. According to the budget income of Puli Town office in 2017, there is no income of Project Benefit Fee, trust management, and autonomous tax in the past three years. In 2017, revenue from taxation, fees, and other sources showed negative growth of −3.58 and −5.57%, respectively, compared with 2016. Property income, operating surplus and business income, subsidies and assistance income, and total income all increased, with the largest increase in operating surplus and business income and assistance income, 128.77 and 44.73%, respectively (see Table 2). Judging from the composition of the total budget revenue of Puli Town public office in 2017, the tax revenue is the main body of the public office revenue, accounting for nearly 70% of the total revenue budget, 68.93%. The share of property income, operating surplus, and business income in the total revenue budget is similar to that of subsidies and assistance, which is less than 10, 8.09, 8.49, and 7.31%, respectively. Penalty and compensation income, fee income, donation and gift income, and other income accounted for 0.48, 2.31, 1.64, and 2.74% of the total revenue budget, respectively.

8.49 7.32 1.64

– 1,956 9,333 – 32,683 34,315 29,552 6,639 – 11,068 404,021

2. Income from project benefit fees

3. Fines and compensation income

4. Fee income

5. Trust management income

6. Property income

7. Operating surplus and business income

8. Grant and assistance income

9. Donations and giving income

10. Autonomous tax revenue

11. Other income

Total

385,228

11,468

–

6,639

20,419

15,000

31,036

–

9,883

1,956

–

100

2.98

1.72

5.29

3.89

8.06

2.57

0.51

74.98

483,722

13,651

–

6,810

98,385

703

29,363

–

20,553

2,390

–

311,867

Amount

100

2.82

1.41

20.34

0.15

6.07

4.25

0.49

64.47

Percentage

Final accounts of the previous year

Source Nantou County Puli Town Office official website, http://www.puli.gov.tw/public/ins.php?index_id=108

100

2.74

8.09

2.31

0.48

68.93

278,475

1. Taxable income

288,827

Amount

Percentage

Amount

Percentage

Previous year’s budget

Current year’s budget

Projects

Table 2 Nantou County Puli Town total budget revenue concise comparative analysis table, 2017 (units: NT $,%)

–

18,793

−400

–

–

9,133

19,315

1647

–

−550

4.88

−3.49

44.73

128.77

5.31

−5.57

−3.58

−10,352 –

Rate of increase

Amount

Comparison of current year with previous year

1 General Financial Situation of Nantou County and Township 81

82

4 Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County

1.2 Types and Composition of the New Year Expenditure of the Nantou County and Town Governments Budget Situation of County Government According to the Nantou County Government budget, there are 23 main categories of government expenditure, such as General Government Expenditure, education, science, and culture expenditure, economic development expenditure, social welfare expenditure, and so on. Social welfare expenditure includes social insurance expenditure, social assistance expenditure, welfare service expenditure, national employment expenditure, and health care expenditure. Education, science, and culture accounted for 35.20% of the government’s annual expenditure in 2017. The proportion of social welfare expenditure, retirement pension expenditure, economic development expenditure, General Government Affairs expenditure, and police affairs expenditure in the total expenditure is similar, which is 14.17, 13.15, 11.78, 10.06, and 9.94%, respectively. Expenditures on residential development and environmental protection, debt, subsidies and assistance, and other expenditures accounted for 1.90, 1.03, 0.17, and 2.59%, respectively (see Table 3).

Contents and Classification of Puli Town Hall Unlike the Nantou County Government, the Puli 2017 total budget, in terms of expenditure and proportion, although similar to the expenditure content and county government of the former, the expenditure structure is not the same. In the annual expenditure budget of Puli Town Hall, General Government expenditure, such as government exercise expenditure, administrative expenditure, civil administration expenditure, and financial expenditure, amounted to NT $170,091, accounting for 40% (40.45%) of the total annual expenditure budget; this represents an increase of NT $15,374, or 9.94% over 2016. Expenditures on economic development and on residential development and environmental protection are in the second tier, accounting for 19.93% and 17.74% of the total annual expenditure budgets, respectively. Within 10% of the budget, there is 5.22% for education, 3.65% for debt, 9.59% for social welfare, 0.48% for retirement pension, and 2.94% for other expenses. As the police station is the second level of the county government, directly under the county government, all expenses are borne by the county government finance, but Puli public office does not have such expenses. At the same time, Puli Town Hall as the end of Taiwan’s administrative sequence, offers no subsidies and assistance to the expenditure object, and thus no subsidies and assistance to the expenditure budget (Table 4).

1 General Financial Situation of Nantou County and Township

83

Table 3 Nantou County General Budget for year-on-year government affairs budget summary, 2017 (units: NT $, %) Subjects 款

Regular door

Capital men

Total

2,058,117

140,540

2,198,657

项 General Government Expenditure

1 1

Exercise of power expenditure

241,251

7,150

248,401

2

Administrative expenses

349,683

53,789

403,472

3

Civil expenditure

1,209,490

76,064

1,285,554

4

Financial expenditure

257,693

3,537

261,230

Expenditure on education, science, and culture

7,604,381

89,912

7,694,293

Education expenditure

7,497,451

70,861

7,568,312

2

1 2

Cultural expenditure

106,930

19,051

125,981

Economic development expenditure

408,352

2,167,293

2,575,645

1

Agricultural expenditure

187,620

346,041

533,661

2

Industrial expenditure

126,018

740,065

866,083

3

Transportation expenses

9,642

1,081,187

1,090,829

4

Expenditure on other economic services

85,072

–

85,072

Social welfare expenditure

3,091,063

7,215

3,098,278

1

Social security payments

128,472

–

128,472

2

Social assistance expenditure

207,544

–

207,544

3

Welfare services expenditure

2,323,183

–

2,323,183

4

National employment expenditure

7,839

–

7,839

5

Health care expenditure

424,025

7,215

431,240

3

4

(continued)

84

4 Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County

Table 3 (continued) Subjects 款 5

Expenditure on residential development and environmental protection

Capital men

Total

358,785

57,602

416,387

1

Expenditure on residential development

13,466

22,324

35,790

2

Environmental expenditure

345,319

35,278

380,597

Pension payments

2,873,900

–

2,873,900

1

Payment of retirement pension

2,873,900

–

2,873,900

Police expenditure

2,104,415

67,517

2,171,932

1

Police expenditure

2,104,415

67,517

2,171,932

Debt expenditure

225,566

–

225,566

1

Interest payments on debt

225,566

–

225,566

Subventions and assistance expenses

37,500

–

37,500

1

Project support expenditure

37,500

–

37,500

Other expenses

346,943

218,700

565,643

1

Other expenses

216,943

218,700

435,643

2

Second reserve

130,000

–

130,000

19,109,022

2,748,779

21,857,801

6

7 8

9

10

Total

Regular door 项

1.3 Debts of Nantou County and Town Governments According to the “Local system law,” county and township governments may levy taxes within the scope of local taxes and may collect fees within the scope of local government fees; however, these incomes are often not enough to meet the needs of local social construction and development, resulting in a gap between income and expenditure. To make up for the gap in the budget of counties and townships, the “Local system law” allows county governments to issue public bonds, borrow money, or transfer the surplus from previous years to make up for the gap, allowing the township (town, City) public to borrow money or transfer the surplus of the previous year. The ratio of outstanding balance of county (City) bonds and loans and the ratio of outstanding balance of township (town, City) loans shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of the “Public Debt Law.”2

12,338

420,346

–

9. Subventions and assistance expenses

10. Other expenses

2,000

8. Debt payments

Total annual expenditure

40,330

–

6. Retirement pension payments

7. Police expenditure

154,717

11,970 383,511

2.94 100

–

1,200

–

40,320

72,297

9,967

72,193

20,847

–

0.48

–

9.59

17.74

3.65

15,338

74,549

4. Social welfare expenditure

5. Expenditure on residential development and environmental protection

19.93

83,761

3. Expenditure on economic development

5.22

40.45

21,939

2. Educational, scientific, and cultural expenditures

100

3.12

–

0.31

–

10.51

18.85

2.6

18.82

5.44

40.35

Percentage

Amount

Amount

Percentage

Previous year’s budget

Current year’s budget

1. General government expenditure 170,091

Projects

447,468

4,699

914

32,074

71,413

23,356

151,578

17,345

146,089

Amount

100

1.05

0.2

7.17

15.96

5.22

33.87

3.88

32.65

Percentage

Final accounts of the previous year

Table 4 Puli Town Nantou County 2017 annual budget and the proportion of each year (units: NT $, %)

36,835

368

800

10

2,252

5,371

11,568

1092

15,374

Amount

9.6

3.07

66.67

0.02

3.11

53.89

16.02

5.24

9.94

Rate of increase

Current year comparison with previous year

1 General Financial Situation of Nantou County and Township 85

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4 Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County

Nantou County Government’s Public Debt In 2015, the financial situation of 22 counties and cities in Taiwan was assessed by the ratio of deficit to revenue, ratio of revenue to self-financing, ratio of debt to revenue, ratio of annual reduction of debt to revenue, and ratio of annual increase of Commonwealth Magazine to self-financing revenue. It was found that “Eighty percent of the county and city is in financial red and yellow light.” Nantou County’s finances are on a “Safety line,” but the new year of 2014 had just passed because of insufficient local tax revenue and the failure of the “Competent executive authorities Co-ordination Fund” to arrive in time, and nearly 10,000 civil servants were left without pay.3 Finally, the county government had to use the fund turnover, and the first job is to pay the civil servants. Eighty percent of the county and city in financial red and yellow light4 Local governments are up to their eyeballs in debt, with “long-term debt” soaring by nearly 60% in a decade. The financial problem has become the first threshold of the Chief Executive’s administration. “According to the five financial indicators of CommonWealth Magazine, the development of “County and city financial index” found that in the entire region of Taiwan, only four counties and cities have financial security. Gaoxiong City, for example, raised its own money in 2014, but the overall level of debt was too high to escape the red light. Tainan, which was once widely noted for its debt-servicing binge, raised its own money in 2014 and grew at a negative rate, into the red-light zone. “Crying poor, crying poor, crying poor has become a routine for the local government,” said Huang Chongzhe, a former Yilan County Finance Director and host of the “Sanjiushen citizen platform.” Finance has become a straitjacket and mirror for politicians. This year, the newly appointed Miaoli County Magistrate, Xu yaochang, cannot issue a salary, has raised the issue with the Competent executive authorities for urgent help, and former county magistrate Liu Zhenghong has become the focus of the dispute. How deep is the local government in debt? The total “long-term debt” of local governments in Taiwan was T $516 billion in 2004, but by 2014 it had soared to T $820 billion, up nearly 60% in a decade. In addition to Miaoli County, cities and counties with debt above the legal limit are Yilan County; Yunlin County, Jiayi County, Pingtung County, and Hsinchu County, which are also in trouble. In fact, the financial situation of each county and city government has been an important index in the Happiness City Survey of CommonWealth Magazine. In the assessment of “Governance Power,” the current fiscal health of local governments is examined by “Deficitto-revenue ratio,” “Revenue-to-revenue ratio,” and “Debt-to-revenue ratio,” and “Debt annual reduction rate.” “Self-financing annual growth rate of financial resources” has to be examined for the counties and cities to improve the financial resources of “Efforts.”

On May 20, 2015, Lin Mingzhen, the head of Nantou County, made a speech at the first regular session of the 18th Nantou County Council, saying that the county government will actively open up sources and reduce expenditure in 2014 in response to the shortfalls in revenue and expenditure. In the area of open source, the county

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government’s overall plan for the allocation of funds and the over-collection of local taxes have added a total of more than 500 million NT dollars, and the return of sand and gravel amounts to more than 600 million NT dollars. For the part of savings, the county government’s financial control is appropriate, and interest has been reduced by more than $100 million.5 The final accounts of Nantou County for 2014 recorded revenue of T $23,978.28 million, T $21,693.77 million, and T $2,284.51 million, and debt repayment of T $4.56 billion, T $4.44 million, and T $4.4 billion in credit income and T $2,120.07 million in income and expenditure, the largest annual income and expenditure surplus since the establishment of the county. The accumulated financial deficit was therefore reduced by T $2 billion to NT $20.1 billion. Since the debt situation of the county government is directly related to the life of the county people, the county people are particularly concerned about the debt situation of the Nantou County Government. In June 2017, there were media reports that Nantou County and four other cities and counties had triggered a debt warning line. The Nantou County Government issued a special denial for this purpose, “According to the current public debt law, when a county or city borrows public debt for more than one year, the outstanding balance of the budget shall not exceed 50% of the total annual expenditure of the respective government’s total budget and special budget, and the debt ratio shall reach the early warning standard when it reaches 45%. As at the end of May 2017, the debt ratio of the Nantou County government’s public debt of more than one year is 44.2%, fully in compliance with the debt provisions.”6 On the one hand, the Nantou County Government actively seeks the support of higher-level governments, and on the other hand, it is a source of wealth. For example, levying a special tax on landscape maintenance, introducing private resources into public construction, developing and utilizing idle public-owned premises, and cooperating with the state-owned property administration to develop a large area of “State-owned land,” tourist attraction spots charge admission fees, so that the government has 4 consecutive years of surplus, with a significant reduction in debt. As of October 2017, Nantou County had an average debt burden of NT $26,600 per county, the 13th highest among 22 counties, tied with Taitung County.7 However, Nantou County residents (especially DPP county councilors) were not satisfied with the Nantou County Government’s debt reduction efforts and even thought the Nantou County magistrate was simply using word play to deceive the unsuspecting county residents. In the 2017 Nantou County Council General Inquiry, DPP legislators Luo Meiling, Chen Hanli, and Lai yanxue, for example, argued that the county government had diverted tax revenue to pay off debts, creating a news effect of debt reduction, and then used Taiwan Bank to sign an overdraft contract. The county government had 6 billion yuan overdraft limit on loans, and using this word play, they tried to imply that debt had reduced but it had not. Nantou County government announces debt reduction of 3.4 billion yuan8 In response to the Nantou County Government’s announcement that county magistrate Lin Mingzhen has reduced debts by 3.4 billion yuan since taking office, Chen Hanli, a legislator, produced a poster of the county magistrate. Nantou County lawmaker Luo Meiling used

88

4 Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County statistics on county government debt to attack the county government for defrauding residents by claiming that the county governor, Lin Mingzhen, has reduced the county’s debt by 3.4 billion yuan since taking office. Luo Meiling and others said that the county government used the 6 billion yuan overdraft to borrow an average of 3.8 billion yuan each day, but it was widely publicized that since County Governor Lin Mingzhen took office, the county government has reduced its debt by 3.4 billion yuan. In fact, there has been no reduction in short-term debt, only the long-term debt was reduced by about $600 million. Luo Meiling stressed that the other county government’s average daily borrowing limit from each fund account was maintained at around 600 million yuan, which is equivalent to the county government having no actual debt repayment. After being repeatedly pointed out by the Audit Department of the Supervisory Commission, it requested that a debt reduction plan be drawn up. Since Lin Mingzhen took office, long term debt payments of about 600 million yuan, or about $100 million to $200 million a year have barely met the basic requirements, as the county’s debt law requires repayments of a minimum of $100 million to $200 million a year to maintain impunity. Luo Meiling also pointed out that the part of the operating surplus and the business income related to the budget revenue is mainly the income of the Resources Development Fund, but the county government has made a serious list every year, and the annual rate of meeting the standards during Lin Mingzhen’s term is less than 40%. Although this has been continuously the same for many years as per the audit unit rectification, the county government has been unwilling to make amends. In this regard, the finance department of the county government pointed out that the amount of the overdraft contract of 6 billion yuan was approved after deliberation by the Parliament and was legally used for the dispatch and use of county government funds, and the borrowing of funds from special accounts was also in compliance with the regulations, and by the end of the 10 years, including the length of the debt did reduce by 3.4 billion yuan, but the debt involves financial regulation, calculation time is different, and this inevitably produces cognitive differences. The key is that Lin Mingzhen did reduce debt, 6 are not counted, the effect of debt reduction is in the middle 1, 4th out of 22 counties.

Debt Position of Puli Town Hall Puli was the worst hit by the 1999 earthquake, with 12,676 homes damaged and 264 casualties. At that time, higher-level governments allocated NT $13.5 billion for emergency repairs, relief grants, and resettlement of victims. Those found to be ineligible for write-off after the write-off will have to pay NT $150 million over a 50-year period, or about NT $3 million per year. In 1998, Puli town office applied to the competent transportation and communication authorities for the construction of a “Three-dimensional car park,” which was later converted into a shopping mall on the 1–3 floors, NT $82 million was recovered for failure to meet the grant requirements. As mayor Zhou Yixiong said, “When I took office in March 1999, Puli Town Office’ financial strain. In addition to not being able to pay all of my salaries on time, I had written unpaid checks amounting to NT $97 million, and there were frequent reminders from vendors.”9 In order to improve the financial distress, Puli Town office increased the tax, fees, and fines on the basis of income, actively promoted government affairs, used funds

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89

form open sources, and cut costs. For example, after borrowing NT $100 million in 2000, the construction of the ossuary of Cixiaotang brought in more than NT $300 million in eight years and contributed NT $100 million to the Treasury, increasing the revenue of the town treasury. In 2012, the park will be successfully tendered, with an annual revenue of NT $5 million. He then worked with the state property agency to develop “State-owned land” in Puli and received a T $50 m bonus. As of December 2018, the financial gap in the Puli Township public office was narrowed by NT $167.53 million in eight years, and the last bank loan debt of NT $7 million was repaid in July 2018, with zero public debt.10 However, not everyone is satisfied with the results of Zhou’s eight-year administration. He Huijuan, the representative of the town people, has long been concerned about the financial situation of Puli Town Hall, and he has expressed doubts about Zhou’s statement that “The number of public debts is zero.” He also considered that the mayor had accumulated a total of NT $243 million in hidden liabilities during the “Detention period” of the first six months of his term of office, without the review of the budget by the Town People’s Congress and the advance of additional public works budgets, it owes T $330 m in interest to higher-level governments, and T $570 m in debt. He Huijuan representative claims that the Zhou mayor is “in the name of construction, emptying the town treasury for real,” and is worried that the public treasury was emptied, no matter who was elected mayor. He said, “I am afraid that even staff salaries are not issued.” Fake construction, real hollowing out?11 At a press conference today, He Huijuan, a deputy of Puli town in Nantou County and a candidate for Parliament, questioned mayor Zhou Yixiong’s “Fake construction and real hollowing out,” pointing out that Zhou had spent the first six months of his term as caretaker without the budget being reviewed by the town council, taking an additional 87.5 million yuan in advance of the public works budget, bringing down the town treasury, and adding even more debt to the town residents and the next mayor. He huijuan pointed out that the revised budget of the Institute for this year has been increased by 40 million yuan, which is 60 million yuan for the construction of funeral parlors, 66.9 million yuan for the purchase of agricultural and pastoral land at prices higher than the actual listed prices, and 55 million yuan for bank loans; further, in May and September this year to make a general reference to the town’s public construction on the additional short-term advance budget of 87.5 million yuan, people questioned the dou. The director of Finance of the Puli Kung public office, Feng Yufen, said that the project budget had confirmed the availability of financial resources for the advance of funds, and that the funds had been allocated. The financial support came from various sources of revenue such as inheritance, gifts, and housing; besides Taiwan Radio, Taiwan Water, or China Telecom should be supported by the road excavation fund, the competent executive authorities allocation of funds, so there is no debt damage to the public treasury and other issues. He also alleged that the amount of the advance was so large that it broke the record of previous mayors of Puli. In the past, all town representatives had to agree to the addition of the advance. However, Zhou sought the agreement of only the chairman of the town council, Cai Wenzhong, and the vice-chairman, Huang Shifang, in private. In response, Cai Wenzhong said that it is customary for the chairman to agree to advance payment by the public during the intersessional period, which will be considered in detail at regular meetings.

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4 Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County

Huang Shifang said that when the budget of the public office is advanced during the recess period, it will help implement repair of public works and facilities such as roads, ditches, and the third market in accordance with the general direction of the town and the People’s sentiments. regular pre-project content and funding list item by item for the town to consider; she served as 5 town generation, the process should be quite clear, it is inappropriate to make a fuss about this. Zhou Yixiong also issued a statement for this purpose, “During the election period, the Puli Town office and the candidate will not comment on any publicity activities, based on the principle of administrative neutrality. If any damage is done to the town office or the candidate’s reputation, the party and the candidate will reserve the right of legal recourse,” the spokesman said.

2 The Relationship Between the Government and the Government Under the County and Township Finance 2.1 County Governments and County Councils Supervise and Be Supervised The Nantou County Council, as the highest authority in Nantou County, shall not only decide on the county regulations, special taxes, temporary taxes, and additional taxes, the disposition of county property, the organizational regulations of the county government, and the organizational regulations of the affiliated institutions, and the matters proposed by the county government, and determine the county budget, but also to review the county final accounts audit report. The Review Committee constituted by the County Council, on the basis of different proposals, requests the sponsor, the petitioner, or the county government to be present at the presentation but not to participate in the discussion and voting; if the content of the proposal involves the review committee, it is to be reviewed jointly by the relevant review committees. All kinds of bills put forward by the government are carefully examined by the county council. Illegal fees should not be reviewed by the government?12 Qingjing High Altitude Trail, your one thousand, seven hundred meter scenic trail is illegal development. The EIA law clearly states that an environmental impact assessment must be carried out above one thousand, five hundred meters. However, I just asked the director of environmental protection, “The county magistrate in charge of the development at this time, has the development plan been submitted to the Environmental Protection Bureau?” The results, the Environmental Protection Bureau said they were not aware. I asked the construction department, “Does the county magistrate’s toll booth have a license?” No license, no license application. Isn’t that what the county wants? I asked you about the illegal charges. You said: “Everything is legal, but the procedure is not complete.” Of course, the procedure is

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not complete, ah, it has not been sent to the parliament, of course it will not be complete, ah, these few days we have received the official documents from the parliament, we have checked the official documents that have been prepared for you, of course, these official documents are only decided according to the responsible authority, a councilor can give you approval. This is a matter in our parliament, but we see a problem. A councilor can give approval to the county government. A councilor spoke a lot in the parliament, saying that you broke the law, when that doesn’t work, a member of the Council can review your papers. Now I tell you, from February 21, 2017 operating charges to November 14, 2017 apply for sending the official document to the Parliament; for the Parliament to return this by November 22, the legal procedure fees have not been paid. Teach the county magistrate, is this period before November 22 illegal charges? County magistrate, you said that the government is not for income, money-making purposes. Bragging rights, nice try, but I’m telling you right now, why do you need to be paid for a quiet scenic trail? Wouldn’t it be better for the economy to protect the lives and property of tourists and let them spend there? You didn’t take any money in Nantou. Why did you take money there? That doesn’t make any sense. Because you want to collect money, through the “Ren’ai Township Qingjing area elevated walkway management method.” To charge tourists Nt $50 for a full ticket, you insisted that this was a cleaning fee. Is there any reason for this?

Check and Be Checked Although the Nantou County Council is the supreme authority that oversees the finances of the Nantou County Government, the operating funds of the county councils, the “Matching funds” that county councilors use for local construction and voter services, are dependent on the county government budget preparation and approval. To this end, from a financial point of view, between the Nantou County Council and the county government the need is to form a restricted relationship owing to the financial “discord” resulting in tension between the council. When Peng was in power, he deleted T $50 million from the 1999 County Council budget and small-scale projects by Ordinary County Councilors, totaling T $260 million, on the grounds that the county government’s finances could not support them. In a fit of pique, the county council deleted T $3 billion in administrative expenses from the Nantou County Government’s 1999 total budget. “Peng baixian’s obstinacy in choosing the right people caused serious conflicts in the prefectural government. The Speaker, Zheng Wentong, strongly boycotted the county magistrate. The proceedings were suspended. There was also a major earthquake and people complained about the prairie fire.” Relations between the Nantou County Council and the county government once fell to a “freezing point.” Later, Peng baixian confessed in an interview that, “When I decided to delete the matching funds, I took all the heads of the bureaus and departments at that time to the office and told them to prepare themselves mentally, to tighten their skin and to accept overall supervision.”13 The county government did not give the county councilors the matching funds because it was to be under “strict” supervision, and it is not difficult to see how the cooperation fund played a delicate role in the relationship with the government. To create a more harmonious external environment for the county government, most of the successive Nantou County Chiefs will actively get along with the county council. As county magistrate Lin Mingzhen said, “The councilors are very clever!

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4 Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County

The larger amount of project funds will fight for the budget of the county government, the smaller amount will be used for their own subsidies. Nantou County spends about $150 million to $200 million a year on the support of its legislators. Most of the county governments accept the legislators’ proposals and allow them to do personal favors. However, the proposals with relatively large amounts of money will still be examined and decided on the spot.” On the one hand, the matching funds for county councilors can help county councilors to assist in local construction, return favors, and even consolidate votes. On the other hand, we hope that the parliaments can smoothly promote the related governance of the government and achieve a win– win situation. A former speaker admitted, “If the head of the council is willing to make a contribution, he will also help ‘give the head a break’ when the council reviews the local government budget.”14 Therefore, the matching money is seen as a “lubricant,” or even as “Hush money,” between the parliament and the head of the county. The “Secret” of the matching model15 Many of the county and city councilors interviewed agreed that local associations or associations also represent votes and stakes. Local councilors have to maintain more or less good relations with these associations, with some councilors or their relatives or friends, or even the founders or cadres of these groups. “We help them [ with matching funds], of course we hope it will help us in the election,” said one outgoing member, who asked not to be named. K said, “If you have a $ 500,000 matching fund, split it into five 98,000 yuan and one 10,000 yuan, the total amount is the same, but it’s easier to use because there’s no open bidding, so you can give it to whoever you want. Why would I know? Because I’ve done it before!” “There was an elderly person who came to the house and suggested that he could help out with 500,000 yuan. He was conservative, but what he meant was that he wanted me to get certain engineering firms to do the work. At that time, I was too embarrassed to refuse. In addition, I did have a matching fund to use. I also thought of the procedure of open bidding, so I opened a 500,000 yuan document and prepared to report it. However, at this time, the elderly man advised me to break the money into six -- five 98,000 yuan and a sum of 10,000 yuan -- do not bid, to “help” to the manufacturer. The project was handed over to two engineering firms, and another 10,000 yuan was used to subsidize a local community. Only later did I know that not only the engineer who took the case, but also the person in charge of that society was friendly with that elderly person. I knew for the first time that it could be done like this.”

Although the small amount of matching money is regarded by the public (including civil servants) as the “private money” of county and city councilors, and may be used by county councilors to give favors, the Nantou County Government civil servants believe that the behavior of county councilors can be restrained through the system, to ensure that the matching funds are used to meet the needs of the population. For instance, no matter which trench to dig, which road to pave, not only the local assessors, but also the audit office of the menkeeper is not to be used for other or improper spending.

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2.2 The Relationship Between the Finance of the Town Public Office and the Town People’s Congress The relationship between the township public office and the Township People’s Congress is similar to that between the county government and the county council. Although the financial resources of the township public offices are limited, the township public offices and the Township People’s representatives pay equal attention to the financial issues. It seems to be the key variable whether the township public office and the township people’s Congress can coexist harmoniously. If the “Interests” of the township people’s representatives are not guaranteed, the township people’s Congress may become the “Nightmare” of the township mayor’s administration. For example, in the southern part of Puli, because the township head did not agree to the request of the township council to double the project quota for each representative (the general representative was increased from T $400,000 to T $800,000, and the chairman from T $800,000 to T $1.6 million), the township assembly slashed the budget of the government offices, cutting the NT $11 million for minor projects to NT $1,000. The NT $1,000 may only buy a few generations of cement, and there is nothing you can do for the villagers. Such a representative!16 In response to the villagers’ criticism of the “Arbitrary cutting of the budget of the township office” of the National Township Representative Association, the Chairman of the National Township Representative Association, Peng Guozhen, was foaming at the mouth as he spoke through a microphone. The head of the township was in a foul mood, because the representative assembly slashed the budget, in 2016, of small-scale projects from 11 million to the remaining 1,000 yuan. The township office wonders how to make do with this? The reason for the drastic cuts is that the Villages demand a fixed quota of Villages from 400,000 per person to 800,000 per person, and from 800,000 to 1.6 million for the chairman, a total of five million more, the township head does not agree, that is basically representative of self-enrichment. “800,000,1,200,000 and 1.6 million,” said Qiu pusheng, a township chief in Nantou County. “They want this, double the previous year.” If the township head doesn’t give them a good deal, they’ll slash the budget. If I don’t get it, you won’t get it. A total of nine votes were cast in the house, two against the budget, and the chairman rapped his gavel. The villagers who listened could not help jumping out to scold. “How can you choose this kind of Representative?” said a villager surnamed Nantou County. The township head said, “I don’t know if the people who voted for them will regret the small-scale projects, which are mainly used to repair collapsed roads,” he said. “They will try to double the quota they can get.”

It was found in the interviews that several Puli townspeople believed that the town representative would have a limited role in supervising the mayor and the town hall because of the “Common interest” between them, or because “When you lose, you lose.” Only the harmony of the two can guarantee the smooth realization of

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4 Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County

their respective goals. For the views of the representatives of the town people, many of the interviewees are quite critical. Opinions mostly focus on “The function of the town representative is limited,” “The salary, subsidy and treatment of the town representative is too good,” “Why do people have to go directly to the mayor, when they don’t need to,” and so on. The voice of the town’s representative17 After three years as a mediator, I was elected town representative. Later, when we were going to elect the chairman of the Town People’s Congress, my wife didn’t agree. She said you weren’t greedy, you did not have what you wanted. You chose a chairman of the Town People’s Congress, and it would cost at least three million, she said. No, so I’m gonna be the face. As a Village, I will be able to do a good job as a Village and I have been re-elected for three terms. In the last election, there was a young man in my district with a lot of money running against me. At the time there was election bribery, and he came to me and said, “You’ve done two terms, you don’t have to vote. Here’s the money, six million.” I said, “You told me not to choose, no matter, we go to draw lots, throw (ask God).” Finally, our four people go to campaign. It was a tough call, but I made it. People pay $1,000 a ticket. $1,000 a vote is your family’s business, my service spirit I can elect, I still elected, won by one fourth, almost 400 votes. In my opinion, a town representative who is the mouthpiece of the people is to supervise the government for the people. At our regular meeting every year, our Town Representative Committee reviews the budget of the town hall. The Town Hall wants to know where your income is. You took $30,000, you tested for $50,000, that’s not gonna work, you’re gonna be frugal this month, you’re not gonna borrow to spend. May and June are the months of reckoning. How much did he spend. If it’s not enough, he has to sort it out to see where you went wrong. If you write it right, you’re on your own. We review whether you’re spending it right or wrong, and then we vote it through, and that’s our responsibility. If the mayor breaks the law, as long as we find enough evidence, we, as representatives of the town, will take the lead in signing the town and the people, in accordance with the recall procedure. When you represent a town, you do what’s in your heart.

3 The Inter-governmental Relationship Under the County and Township Finance 3.1 Relations with the Higher Authorities Interdependence The existence of a government presupposes the collection of taxes. For local governments, the implementation of local self-government can be in their respective administrative areas of taxation and self-financing. However, in addition to meeting the local government’s administrative expenditure, we also need to pay taxes to the higher government (Taiwan authorities) according to law. On the one hand it is to ensure the normal operation of Taiwan’s administrative organs, and on the other local governments in financial difficulties seek the help of higher-level governments. Therefore,

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from the financial point of view, the local government and higher-level government form an interdependent relationship. Take, for example, the co-ordination of allotments. According to Item 2 of Article 16–1 of the Revenue and expenditure division law, “The competent administrative authorities” shall make overall arrangements for 10% of Taiwan’s income tax, 40% of the sales tax after deducting the bonus from the unified invoice, and 10% of the goods tax, of this amount, 6% is classified as a special coordinated allocation tax, which is used exclusively to cover urgent or important local matters; the remaining 94% is a general coordinated allocation tax. This 94% of the general overall distribution tax will be distributed to governments at all levels 61.76% to municipalities directly under the competent administrative authorities, 24% to counties and cities, and the remaining 8.24% to towns and townships, which is the basic overall planning and distribution. However, with so many counties and cities in dire financial straits, how can 24% be enough? As a result, the Taiwan authorities have set aside 20% of the total amount of value-added tax for the overall distribution tax to be distributed to the counties and cities. It is worth mentioning that the value-added tax is mainly a local tax, which is collected by local governments for their own use. The more prosperous the counties and cities, the more frequently land is traded, and the more taxes they receive on land; now it is proposed that 20% be used for overall distribution, highlighting the purpose of “stealing from the rich to give to the poor.” For local governments, especially in rural inland counties such as Nantou County, industry is underdeveloped, and it is difficult to rely on tourism, agriculture, and other income to ensure the normal operation of the county government. From Nantou County’s 2017 total government budget revenue, higher-level government subsidies accounted for 52.03% of the total annual revenue budget. From this it is not difficult to grasp the importance of the higher government to the local government. In particular, “Competent executive authorities coordination of the distribution of tax” has been closely followed by local heads of government, and the most dissatisfied with a policy. Some county mayors believe that the overall distribution tax is too little or unfair, or even a series of counties and cities against higher-level governments demand expansion or adjustment of the overall distribution tax. To obtain the maximum amount of “Overall allocation,” Nantou County magistrate will arrange with the financial department in accordance with the requirements of higher-level government departments for specific subsidies (see Table 5), and actively do a good job in the budget for subsidies.

Competing for Dominance In 1999, after the “9/21” earthquake with its epicenter at Nantou County. there were heavy casualties. In order to promote disaster relief and reconstruction, a special “9/21 reconstruction conference” was set up. At that time, Peng baixian County Chief was indicted by the Nantou District Attorney’s office, and Peng baixian’s own administration did not trust the county government team, resulting in a “Chilling effect” on all civil servants in the Nantou County Government. Many civil servants

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Table 5 Competent administrative authorities to municipalities and counties (cities) government subsidies and maximum subsidy rates Name of office

Subventions

Maximum rate of subsidy

Notes

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Council for Hakka Affairs, Taiwan

Promoting the preservation Plans of Hakka people culture and the development of tourist villages

–

78

84

86

90

“Home Office”

Sewer

–

88

92

94

98

“Home Office”

Cadastral plan

–

85

89

91

95

“Home Office” and “Department of Transportation”

Living circle road traffic system construction plan

–

73

82

84

88

“Home Office”

Joint office building construction

–

35

48

52

65

“Home Office”

The land – information system program

78

84

86

90

“Home Office”

Project cost of – land rezoning in rural area

77

80

82

86

“Ministry of Economy”

County (city) – tube river flood control facilities and important construction plan for drainage area

70

78

82

90

NT $1 billion Yuan is the upper limit

simply push, drag, and pull in dealing with the post-disaster reconstruction work. As a result, higher levels of government have concluded that the Nantou County Government lacks the expertise and administrative efficiency to carry out disaster relief and reconstruction directly, thus bypassing local governments. As the elected county magistrate, Peng baixian hopes to be able to play a stronger role in disaster relief and reconstruction and live up to the expectations of voters. In the two years since the 921 earthquake, 91% of the 3,000 public works have been completed, with a 100% implementation rate. However, Peng was eventually sentenced to 20 years in prison for profiteering, breach of duty, business embezzlement, and other crimes, and was first detained for sixty-one days. Although the first

3 The Inter-governmental Relationship Under the County and Township …

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trial result is “all about ‘the corruption punishment crime’ part is not guilty,” but three years later, Peng baixian County Magistrate had no opportunity to further his ambition. Higher and lower levels of government compete for dominance18 The struggle between higher levels of government and local authorities has a long history, but in recent years populism has made politicians show their achievements so that they people feel they cannot be replaced. Therefore, officials at all levels have a strong Sectionalism for Disaster Relief and Reconstruction, eager to make contributions to the “Higher government,” “Not enough understanding of the local political ecology and see only one sided to give affirmation.” Competent executive authorities competent executive authorities office director, former Taizhong County Magistrate Liao Yonglai, regrets. In fact, Guo yaoqi, for example, many Competent executive authorities officials like to directly go over to the county level because of the urgency for disaster relief or talk directly to the person in charge of the township, and hence, all that local self-governance is empty talk. “Higher government” and the local leadership have gone through the most intense conflict, of no more than “two counties against the three-term Reconstruction Council executive.” For four years after the earthquake, the 921 reconstruction association and the Nantou County Government have been jockeying for dominance. In fact, whether elected county governors or cabinet councilors who serve as chief executives of the reconstruction commission, “They all just want to be resource allocators,” observed Liu Song, a Baohua producer and director who has traveled around the disaster-hit areas filming public television documentaries. Li denghui’s inappropriate wording made the power of the county magistrate in the disaster area overhead. Li denghui said, “the township chief is bigger than the county chief! The county government’s power has fallen away, the local government has gone directly to the adoption of the township’s ‘higher’ deputy head, resulting in the county government having no authority, but the local authority has no responsibility over the abnormal phenomenon,” said professor Lai Shuming, a former researcher at the University of Frankfurt in Nantou County.

Independence Since the implementation of local self-government, the local government has become a relatively independent self-governing unit, with self-management of the work within its own administrative area. As the guiding organ of the local government, the higher-level government supervises the administration of the local government according to law. If the implementation is not effective, “Counseling,” “Inspection,” and other forms of administration ensure the implementation of the policy. However, for local governments, when the policies implemented by the higher authorities do not conform to the actual situation of “Stuck in the Middle,” it is in the interest of the local governments. The implementation of “inappropriate policies” leaves voters dissatisfied; if not implemented, the higher government is not satisfied, and may lead to censure or punishment.

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The “One case, one vacation” policy introduced in 2016 is a fatal blow to Nantou County, which relies on tourism as its main source of income. As the “One case, one rest” regulation is too strict, lacks flexibility, and the calculation method of overtime fee is cumbersome, the industrial environment of various industries is different, and it cannot be applied in one body, especially in the tourism service industry, which has a greater impact, a serious impact on the quality of manpower and services; it can also cause labor income reduction, a strange phenomenon. To this end, Nantou County magistrate Lin Mingzhen has held three “One case, one rest” business seminars, especially invited entrepreneurs and labor representatives to discuss, understand their difficulties, and aspirations of people from all walks of life. After a heated discussion, the consensus was that “there should be no hard and fast regulations on taking official holidays, and the total number of days should be managed in such a way that workers can make flexible adjustments and make rational use of their vacation days.” “Overtime should be managed in such a way that workers can make reasonable adjustments and use such measures to meet their actual work needs,” and “Overtime pay should be calculated at a rate of 1.5 times on weekdays or holidays,” in response to the higher-level government mandatory implementation of “One case, one rest.” As a result, the Nantou County Boycott on the island has caused a stir. This “demonstration effect” led to more heads of county and city governments expressing their dissatisfaction with the policy. Even the Mayor of Taizhong Lin Chia-lung, a DPP member, said the lack of flexibility in the “one case, one rest system threatened to distort legislation; he said, “it may even harm the rights and interests of vulnerable small- and medium-sized business owners and vulnerable workers … it is suggested that the publicity period be extended and supporting measures taken to create a win–win situation for workers, employers, and the government.”19 The place went rogue20 After a rest from December 2016 on the road, the “Ministry of Labor’s” so-called “Propaganda period” was about to expire, followed by “Counseling period” and then move on to check the penalty “Inspection period.” However, Taipei’s mayor, Ke Wenzhe, complained that, in one case, the Mayor of Nantou County, Lin Mingzhen, made a big move to instruct county law enforcement officials to examine whether “Nantou County cannot be implemented”; other counties and cities also said they would ask “Higher-level governments” to review and revise their policies. A case of choking, hasty legislation that caused labor and the government lose three, is a bad law, and the “Labor Department” has no ability to remove the set; a case of a rest can really rest! Lai xiangyin, Taipei’s Labor Minister, said the Bureau had sent six letters to the Competent administrative authorities asking for an explanation about the case of “One-day rest” but so far there had been no reply, with Taipei’s mayor, Ke Wenzhe, taking a direct swipe saying that laws and regulations are too complex, and too much Competent executive authorities control will lead to anger and resentment. Lin Mingzhen, at a county council meeting, asked legal officials to “Work hard to find a law that would make it possible for Nantou County not to impose one law at a time,” and his “Determination” could also be directed and studied by Nantou County if it refuses to do so, and what punishment he would receive at the most. The situation in Nantou County is a case in point. It is well known that the tourism industry is a distinct industry in the low peak season, and May, June, and November are low seasons each year. The peak season is also the holiday period, while non-holidays are the low tide. In

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the past, tourism operators could adjust their manpower according to industry fluctuations and high and low tides. During the off-season, almost all employees were on vacation, came only on holidays to work, and at the peak of the crowd all arrived for work; however, when during a break enterprises cannot dispatch human resources, both labor and management suffer. After the spring festival, Lin Mingzhen said, he met business owners and laborers on every occasion. “Everyone complained.” Are there off-season industries other than the tourism industry? Even the technology manufacturing industry has a slow season, or there are urgent orders, that is, the electronics industry’s so-called “Five poor six absolutely” (refers to May and June is the electronics industry’s low season), rigid one after another increases business difficulties, and workers don’t get flexible holidays and overtime pay.

3.2 Relations with Lower-Level Governments Direct the Supervisory Relationship As an independent legal person, local governments at all levels exercise autonomy in all matters within their respective jurisdictions in accordance with the relevant laws adopted by the Parliaments at the corresponding levels, but they cannot do so without the guidance of higher governments. In the day-to-day concrete work, because the township and village public is an autonomous body, the county and city governments can only guide and supervise its work and not interfere with its concrete work. For example, in 2017, Puli Town public office improved local finance based on the market demand and efficiency of funeral parlors, and at the same time improved the disorder of road, traffic, and landscape occupied by people who build private mourning halls. The plan to build a funeral home inside the Wugong Li was criticized, resisted, and even protested from outside. Wugong Li villagers went to the Nantou County Council specifically for this purpose. After hearing Li Min’s petition, Lin Mingzhen said, “The county government has not yet approved the plan for the construction of the funeral parlor in Puli Town. It is still at the stage of investigation and review. Since the funds are for the public office to raise its own funds and obtain loans from banks, the county government does not have subsidies and cannot directly intervene. However, if there is a rebound in public opinion in promoting government affairs, it should respect the views of the residents and re-examine. The area of Puli is large, and the Wugong Li is opposed to by a large number of residents. “It should be possible to find another location,” said Pan Yiquan, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Council, “If the case circumvents the environmental impact assessment and other issues skillfully, the county government will be required to return the documents. Without the approval of the county government, even if the public office raises its own funds and gives out the contract, the funeral home cannot be built.”21 It is not hard to see that the Nantou County Government, as the superior organ of the Puli government, cannot directly intervene in its specific decision-making and governance operations, but can only provide advice and guidance within the framework of the law. In the supervisory status of the county council, the only “Weapon” is also the law.

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The residents of Puli Wugong Li went to the Nantou County Council to protest against the funeral home22 Nantou County Puli town is planning to build a funeral parlor in Wugong Li, Li Min today told Nantou County Council; he said that the funeral parlor will affect tourism, local water sources, and hoped the town office could find another place to build a funeral parlor. More than 30 Wugong Li villagers today went to the Nantou County Council, Nantou County Chief Lin Mingzhen, and Deputy Speaker Pan Yiquan with a petition. The residents considered that the funeral parlor’s planned location close to the Lei Yue Tam Scenic Area would affect tourism development and that an environmental impact assessment should be carried out for the development case. However, the town hall was not implemented and there was a water source nearby. Therefore, they opposed the construction of a funeral parlor in Wugong Li, looking for a better spot. In addition, the residents also suspected that the construction project was for profit or intended to corrupt. According to a letter from the Development Association of the WUPEDE community in Puli Town, Nantou County, to the public prosecutor’s Office of the Nantou District Court, the local land market was about nt $10,000 per ping, but NT $65 million was set aside for the purchase of adjacent land, the amount is about nt $23,800 per square foot, and the landlord, a good friend of the mayor, Zhou Yixiong, is looking to the district attorney’s office to investimen. The director of the Wugong Li Huang Meiyu media interviews pointed out that Wugong Li contains a water source for supply of drinking water in Dapu, and that town office can build a funeral parlor, but not in Wugong Li; they should find a more suitable location; The town hall wants to borrow NT $150 million to build the funeral home. There is no subsidy. County magistrate Lin Mingzhen said the construction should not cause local residents to protest, and that Puli Town office may find a more suitable location. The mayor of the town, Zhou Yixiong, said that the purchase price of the land was based on the recent transaction price and was not higher than the market price. Due to the government’s requirement that crematoria with funeral parlors can apply for subsidies, considering the construction of crematoria may trigger a backlash, just to build a funeral home. It’s all legal.

Support Partnerships As with the Puli Town Hall’s planning for the construction of adjacent shelters (such as garbage dumps, incinerators, etc.)—funeral homes—also led to conflicts, but the Nantou County Government and Puli Town office need to quickly, actively, and effectively resolve the dispute, remove investment barriers, and the government needs to face the problem. In fact, the cross-regional governance problems faced in the development of administrative regions, such as water resources utilization, water control, flood control, pollution, environmental protection, traffic, garbage, etc., it needs not only the support of the higher level government to the lower level government, but also the cooperation of the two levels of government. If the communication coordination is improper, or the cooperation is not good, it will directly affect the county people’s vital interests. “Self-healing ability” of farmers in natural disasters23

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101

When Typhoon Sinlaku hit Nantou, Puli was hit by many disasters, including the destruction of soil by public works and heavy agricultural losses. Among them, many levees broke around Meixi, and large amounts of river water and silt washed away crops and farmland, even leading to the tragic death of a woman who was swept away in a field trying to save her farm tools; the area of damaged farmland around Meixi alone is over 100 hectares. Due to the restriction of the law that the river, sand, and stones are public property, and they must be taken according to the regulations and cannot be transported illegally, this more than 100 hectares of flooded farmland is faced with a difficult problem. No one can move the sand and stones on the farmland, when these fields are planted with bamboo shoots; and if the bamboo shoots are not planted at the end of winter, the next year’s harvest will not be possible, which is bound to cause panic and dissatisfaction among farmers. The county government convened a coordination meeting to which the leaders of the prefectures, representatives of the peasants, agricultural courses and public works courses of the township public offices were invited, and relevant units such as the county government construction office, the Public Works Office, the agricultural office, the Lands Office, the Environmental Protection Office, the Forestry Bureau, the highway bureau, and the sub-bureaus attended the meeting. After the discussion, no conclusion could be reached, representatives at the meeting all said that there were many obstacles, and that it was difficult to estimate the number at the time because of the large area affected and the different depths of Earth and rock inundation; initial estimates put the cost of the much needed transport alone at fifteen million nt. The first dilemma was, where will the budget come from? At the expense of the public office or the county? Large areas of land are also needed to transport large quantities of sand and gravel away from the site, but not too far away because of the high freight costs. Land cannot be found in the vicinity, and the lands unit has also indicated that no piling of either agricultural land, construction land, or other land titles is allowed as they are not gravel yards or land transfer stations. Piling is subject to taxation (non-agricultural). The question is even applying for land improvement (often several months) includes the use of some kind of contract. How does sand stone sell? And so on, a number of questions remain unanswered. Finally, the resolution correspondence requests a superior solution. The county government asked the “Agriculture Committee,” whose palindrome read, “Please handle the matter in accordance with the authority and responsibility of the county government” (the result is the same as without asking for instructions). After a long wait, there is still no solution, only when farmers gathered to petition the county government to protest did the county governor make a ruling that the public works department coordinate the handling of its own funds, but the laws and regulations regarding the funds had not yet been set. The process of agreement and the return of official documents in the middle was delayed for nearly two months. By the spring festival in 2009, nearly half a year after the disaster, farmers had already become impatient; finally, the vast farmland that had been inundated by Earth and rocks has been restored to a green one, and farmers are still planting their fields peacefully, waiting for the harvest; The problem was solved before the government knew it!

3.3 Relations with Governments at the Same Level Competitive Relationships Social welfare measures and their implementation are closely related to the life of the county people and are often an important criterion for the county people to evaluate the local leaders and their administrative teams. In order to meet the demand of the public, after the free lunch for primary and secondary school students

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4 Local Finance and Self-Government in Nantou County

in Taiwan, many county and city governments provide free dental exchange services for the elderly. The reason a social welfare in one county is quickly copied by other counties, even despite the pressure of debt, is that the motivation is driven by the contrast between counties and cities. Social services such as nutritious lunches are often seen as a vehicle for candidates to “Buy votes” in an effort to get the county’s residents (voters) to like the government.24 Today, Nantou County and Hualian County are the only counties on the island that still offer free nutritious lunches. At the 6th regular meeting of the 18th Nantou County Council in 2017, some lawmakers, seeing the county’s high regard for this welfare policy, continued to recommend that the free nutritious lunch in primary and secondary schools be extended to kindergartens. Lin Mingzhen, the county magistrate, was more circumspect in his response to a regular meeting of 4,530 children’s nutritious lunches at Nantou County’s 111 public kindergartens. We need to follow up with the Education Department, the Census and Statistics Department, the Finance Department and other research, if it can be implemented again. Asked about the promise of free dentures for the elderly, county magistrate Lin Mingzhen said, “If there is no money, we will use the reserve fund and guarantee twenty million NT dollars for the welfare of the elderly by providing dentures.”25

Partnerships Shared resources such as rivers and mountains have divisible publicity as well as public issues such as river improvement and air pollution control. Such cross-cutting public issues often extend beyond the jurisdiction of any single department, organization, or government level, and require joint governance by neighboring local governments. If there is no joint effort, or a single government department cannot implement, governance efficiency externalities result in no local government willing to governance. If all sides are thinking of “hitchhiking,” it will eventually cause the “Tragedy of the Commons.” For the public affairs that span many administrative regions, its own indivisible publicity, the external effect of governance, results in the political nature of the public affairs. Due to the difficulty of communication and coordination among the governments at the same level, the Joint Service Center of the Competent executive authorities of the dispatch unit of the Administrative Yuan was officially inaugurated and operated on May 14, 2003. The center has set up many single window service dispatch units to better serve the people of Miaoli County, Taizhong County, Nantou County, and Zhanghua County and, at the same time, provide active assistance to local counties and cities to promote inter-county regional cooperation, as well as cross-regional administrative affairs, with jurisdiction to effectively solve regional issues.

Notes

103

Notes 1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

9. 10.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.

Compilation of the 2018 general budget of municipalities and counties (cities), https://www. dgbas.gov.tw/ct.asp?xitem=42937&ctnode=4971&mp=1. Each municipality, County (City), township (town or city) shall not exceed the average of 15% of the total annual budget and the total annual expenditure of the special budget for the preceding two years, nor shall it exceed the average of the preceding paragraph multiplied by the average growth rate of its self-financing final accounts for the preceding three years. The outstanding balance of public debts incurred by municipalities, counties (cities) and townships (towns and cities) for the purpose of regulating the revenues and expenditures of the Treasury for less than one year shall not exceed 30 percent of the total annual expenditures of their total budgets and special budgets for the current year. Otherwise, don’t limit or stop borrowing. Debt of more than one year (long-term debt): government bonds issued or long-term construction needs funds, therefore, need more than one year to pay off the debt. Short-term debt: debt payable within one year. Outstanding amount of self-liquidating debt: the amount of money that the county or city government currently has on hand. Average debt per person: population of the above three plus counties and cities. Hong Jiemin: Nantou County’s finances are tight, it owes wages to nearly 10,000 people, https://news.cts.com.tw/cts/general/201401/201401071361988.html, 7 January 2014. Deng Kaiyuan, Chen Weilin: in the 2015 County and city survey, 80% of the county and city financial red and yellow lights, https://www.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5070453, 1 September 2015. https://www.npf.org.tw/2/3679. Liao zhihuang: “Nantou County Government: borrowing fails to meet warning standards”, https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20170623004624-260407, 23 June 2017. Cities and counties ranked in debt in October 2017, http://digitaltaiwan.blogspot.com/2017/ 11/201710.htm. Zhang Xiesheng: Nantou County Government claims debt reduction of 3.4 billion, lawmakers lambasted “Cheating County people”, http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/ 2261737. 2018 Chief Executive’s policy address by Chau Yee Hung, Puli. As at the end of July 2018, the outstanding balances of debts of more than one year, short-term debts, average per capita liabilities and self-liquidating debts (including non-operating special funds) amounted to RMB00,000. Bai Yuanxiang: Zhou Yixiong hollowed out Puli Town Office? The town of Operation Black Box paves the way for the collapse, https://pulilife.com/2018/10/01. From Nantou County Gazette No. 83, 18th session, abridged. Wu Baiwei: The Monster and its origin: the unveiling of the Pandora Box, the https://www. twreporter.org/a/2018-local-election-councillors-matching-grants, 19 November 2018. Wu Baiwei: The Monster and its origin: the unveiling of the Pandora Box, the https://www. twreporter.org/a/2018-local-election-councillors-matching-grants, 19 November 2018. Wu Baiwei: The Monster and its origin: the unveiling of the Pandora Box, the https://www. twreporter.org/a/2018-local-election-councillors-matching-grants, 19 November 2018. Huang Maosong: such a representative! Budget cuts, https://news.tvbs.com.tw/entertainment/ 629522, 9 December 2015. 2018-7-12 interview tapes collated. You Changshan: the political dark side of shock, vision, September 2003, https://www.gvm. com.tw/article.html?id=8829. http://www.wikiwand.com/zh/%E4%B8%80%E4%BE%8B%E4%B8%80%E4%BC%91. https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/newspapers/20170315000587-260109, China Times, 15 March 2017. Wugong Li’s people to the county council, said the public funeral home planning black box doubts, https://pulilife.com/2017/11/17.

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22. https://news.tvbs.com.tw/politics/815833, 16 November 2017. 23. Ma WenJun, a discussion of government efficiency and responsibility for local autonomy, Feng Chia University, 2010. 24. Free lunch at Taiwan’s primary and secondary schools, “Unbearable burden” on county and city finances, http://www.xinhuanet.com/2015-07/22/c_1116010331.htm. 25. 2017 Nantou County Council, the18th session 83 Announcement.

Chapter 5

The Relationship Between Political Parties in Local Governance

In the 1980s, Taiwan lifted martial law, opened up to form a party, moving from the authoritarian system to the democratic system in a “Soft landing” and began the process of liberalization and democratization. The Democratic Progressive Party (hereinafter referred to as “The Democratic Progressive Party” or DPP) was first established before the end of martial law, and it has gradually become the pan-blue and pan-green camp in Taiwan, led by the Kuomintang party. In particular, the DPP came to power twice, in 2000 and 2016, and when it returned to power in 2016, it agreed for the first time to “fully govern” both the executive and legislative branches. Party politics in Taiwan thus entered a new stage.

1 The General Situation of Political Parties in Nantou County 1.1 Characteristics of Political Parties in the Nantou County Region (1) Kuomintang, the dominant party Judging from the number of KMT and DPP members in Taiwan, the KMT has four times as many members as the DPP.1 According to statistics, the KMT in Nantou County has more than 23,000 members (of which about 3,000 are from the Huang Fuxing party headquarters), and the DPP has more than 4,000 members in the county, a lead of just over 1,000 in April 2018.2 The reason for the rapid growth in the number of DPP members in the short term is on the one hand that the DPP workers have been operating diligently in recent months, especially the former speaker of Nantou, Wu Qixiang, actively recruiting party members; on the other hand, it may be that the DPP is in a ruling position and has more resources, which can be more easily obtained after joining the party. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_5

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In Nantou County, of the 18 County Governors, 16 are KMT members, and only the 13th and 14th were non-KMT members (see Table 2). Among them, Peng baixian County chief moved from non-party membership into the “New state line,” Lin Zongnan County chief moved from the Democratic Progressive Party to nonparty membership. From the point of view of all the party members who have been the Speaker of the Nantou County Council, basically the Kuomintang was elected. Although in the 2002 election for the Speaker of the National Assembly, by withdrawal from the Kuomintang, non-party Zheng Wentong was elected, he still considered the Kuomintang as “Party friends.” (2) DPP cannot be underestimated Although the DPP has fewer members, its influence from top to bottom is considerable, especially since it has been in power twice, and it has a relatively large amount of resources. In the “Blue”-based Nantou County, the DPP has not only grown in numbers, but also won considerable votes in the elections for Nantou County Chief, county councilors, and township chiefs. In the 1997 county elections, for example, Peng baixian, a former member of the Taiwan legislator, was elected as an independent candidate. In 2001, Lin Zongnan, a member of the DPP, won the county elections, for the eighth year in a row. Nantou County has thus been ruled by pangreens. In the 17th prefectural elections, Lin Mingzhen, nominated by the KMT, edged out Li Hongzhang, the DPP candidate, by just over 5,000 votes. In the “Ninein-one” local elections in 2018, the KMT took the four townships of Nantou City, Caotun, Zhongliao, and Xinyi Township, and the DPP took two townships of Puli and Yuchi. Among them, the Kuomintang’s Antonio Ng and the Democratic Progressive Party’s Liao Zhicheng, who competed together in Puli, are both county councilors switching to run for mayor. With 49.43% of the vote, Liao was 5.46 percentage points (2476 votes)3 ahead of Wu guochang, reversing Puli’s long-term “Blue Sky.” (3) Other parties have limited influence According to the website of the Competent interior authorities,4 there were 341 registered political parties as of December 25, 2018, such as the Kuomintang, the new party, the Green Party, the Democratic Progressive Party, the Progressive Party, the Democratic Alliance, and the Labor Party. Apart from the two major parties, the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party, in terms of the number of seats in the ninth “Taiwan legislator,” there are the forces of the times and the PFP (see Table 1). Other parties that once held seats in the legislature include the new party, the Taiwan Solidarity Union, and the Kuomintang. According to the organizational system of the political parties in Nantou County, only the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party have respectively set up county party headquarters, district-level committees, and district-level branch committees in Nantou County. Limited by financial constraints, the power of the times, Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Taizhong, and 12 counties and cities set

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107

Table 1 Representation of five political parties in the 9th Taiwan Legislature Party name

Date of establishment

Chairman

Caucus leader

Number of seats in the legislature

Seats on county and city councils

Democratic Progressive Party

28-Sep-1986

Cai Yingwen

Ke Jianming

68a

238b

Kuomintang

24-Nov-1894

Wu Dunyi

Jiang Qichen

35

394

The power of the age

25-Jan-2015

Huang Guochang

Xu Yongming

5

16

PFP

31-Mar-2000

Song Chuyu Li Hongjun

3

8

a

Total seats 113 seats b Total seats, 912 total

up party offices only in Nantou County. The PFP, which has only a “Regional party headquarters service office” in Nantou County, recommended Chen in the 2001 Nantou County mayoral election, with 24.51% (63,042 votes), second only to Lin, who got 36.79% of the vote.

1.2 Political Party System in Nantou County Judging from the development of political parties in Nantou County, the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party are relatively mature, and their organizational systems are relatively sound. This chapter mainly focuses on the basic organizational system of the Kuomintang, such as the district committees in Nantou County and Puli, and the “District Branch committees” in the villages. (1) County (City) level committees In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Chinese Kuomintang, regulations are imposed on the organization of the municipal, county (City) committee of the Kuomintang, on the organization of the party committee of the Kuomintang, on the municipal, county (City) level committee, the director of the committee, the deputy director-general, and the other members. The committee consists of a selection committee member,5 an ex officio member,6 and a chairman who is responsible for the day-to-day implementation of party affairs and the implementation of the party’s tasks. The chairman shall be elected by members of this council, and he may, if necessary, appoint a number of vice-chairmen to assist the chairman in carrying out the party’s tasks. When necessary, the party headquarters at a higher level may temporarily send a deputy to serve as a member of the committee without being given a post. The committee shall meet once every month, and, if necessary, an ad hoc meeting can also be called for. The chairman chairs the

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committee, and if the chairman is unable to attend the meeting for some reason, one of the vice-chairmen shall chair the committee meeting, and if both are unable to attend the meeting for some reason, the members shall nominate one among themselves to be the chairman. At the same time, a peer review committee shall be set up with the same number of members at the same level. The members of the committee,7 for the honorary post, are mainly to comment on the county and city party affairs and put forth suggestions when committee members meet to nominate one person as chairman. There shall be a secretary-general who shall handle the day-to-day party affairs in accordance with the instructions of the chairman and the guidance of the deputy chairman. To ensure the normal operation of the committee, it not only has an administrative office to handle the committee’s proceedings, personnel, cashier, accounting, general affairs, but also has various groups established according to different work contents: the first group is in charge of the organization, training, auxiliary election, and party-government relations of its party headquarters; the second group is in charge of youth, women, and association and public service; the third is in charge of publicity, media relations, and cross-strait affairs; and the disciplinary committee is in charge of supervision, rectification, and deliberation of disciplinary cases.8 In general, county (city) level committees have set up a number of full-time cadres. For the chairman (vice-chairman), secretary-general, director-general (group leader), secretary (concurrently), director, deputy director, commissioner, etc., the salary is disbursed by the county (city) level committee in charge of distribution. (2) District committees District-level party headquarters (township and urban areas) performs grassroots work to promote the center and establishes the principles of the party in each township, town, county city, or district. The party department committee at the district level shall appoint a number of members to the selection committee and the ex officio committee when there a change is needed in these positions. The selection and appointment committee comprises a current party member, the mayor of a township or city, the member of a county or city council, the chairman of the Congress, the director-general of the Agriculture and Fisheries Association, the convenor of the working committees of the party departments at the district level, and leading cadres of important mass organizations, and by the higher party department selection and appointment, of course, the members of the standing committee of the division. The party headquarters at the district level shall appoint a chairman and, if necessary, a number of vice-chairmen, all of whom shall be elected from among the members of the committee and may be re-elected for a second term, if necessary, by the party headquarters at a higher level. A meeting of a party department committee at the district level shall be held once a month. If necessary, a meeting shall be held on an ad hoc basis, to be chaired by the chairman. The party headquarters at the district level shall have a director, and in areas where there are more voting places, a number of deputy directors and commissioners shall be appointed by the party headquarters at a higher level; the director (secretary) carries out the tasks of the party

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and handles the day-to-day business in a comprehensive manner upon the instruction of the chairman. Like the county (city) level committee, the district party committee sets up a disciplinary committee to supervise and review the party disciplinary cases, as well as the financial audit and audit. The disciplinary committee is generally composed of five to thirteen members. Its members and standing committee members are selected by the party headquarters at the higher level. The disciplinary committee shall meet once every three months. If necessary, it shall hold a temporary meeting under the chairmanship of the standing committee members. If the standing committee members are unable to attend for any reason, one of the members shall be appointed to preside over the meeting. Decisions shall be submitted to the district committee for approval before implementation. The general meeting of party members at the district level shall be held once a year. (3) Divisional committees The district sub-branch committee is the basic unit of action, with the village as its scope and the village administrative organization as its unit, and it is set up on the approval of the higher party department. A member of the standing committee shall be selected from among the members of the branch committee and, if necessary, be selected by the party department at a higher level. The district branch committee shall have a number of members elected by party members and, if necessary, selected by the party department at a higher level. A sub-committee shall set up with a subcommittee leader to be elected by the party members and, if necessary, selected by the party headquarters at a higher level. The Congress of the party members of the divisional committees shall be held once a year. In the event of an order from the higher party headquarters or a request from more than half of its members, a temporary party Congress shall be convened. The term of office of the standing committee, the committee members, and the group leaders of the branch committees shall be two years, same as that of the party organizations at higher levels.

1.3 Funds for Political Parties in the Nantou County Region (1) Composition of funding To maintain the normal operation of political parties, funds are needed, for instance, to pay party workers’ salaries and rental of office space; expenses are also incurred for activities. According to the provisions of the Constitution of the Chinese Kuomintang, there are six major sources of funding for political parties of the Kuomintang: First, party dues paid by party members; second, political contributions received in accordance with the law; third, party subsidies; fourth, income from the sale of publications and publicity materials or the granting or transfer of rights by political parties for the purpose of propagating their ideas or engaging in activities; fifth, income from

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other sources according to the provisions of the law of political parties, and sixth, the first five funds and revenue generated by their fruits. Party dues are the basic guarantee for the operation of a political party. As can be seen from the measures for Kuomintang party members to pay party dues, in addition to making large donations, ordinary party members can pay 200 NT dollars a year, or 10,000 NT dollars at a time, and no membership dues for life. Holders of certificates issued by the government for middle- and low-income households or those who have reached the age of 65 and have over 40 years of party age may be exempted from party dues. According to statistics as of January 11, 2017, the KMT has 888,700 members9 and can collect NT $177,774 in party dues each year. However, as of January 9, 2017, only 226,783 of the party’s members had the right to vote in elections for four party posts, meaning that only 226,783 people paid their dues.10 More than 600,000 party members have not paid their dues or are out of touch. An important and large proportion of the party’s total income is from political contribution. In 2017, the political contribution income of the Democratic Progressive Party was NT $147.805,987, that of the Times Force was NT $11.35 million, of the PFP was NT $5.05 million, and that of the Kuomintang was more than NT $33.37 million,11 a significant drop of 88.68 million yuan from its 2016 income of more than NT $122.05 million, making it the only one of the four major political parties with a negative balance.12 The same was true of the revenues of the KMT Nantou County Committee and of the District Committee, which were significantly lower than that of the previous years. (2) Current status of funding In accordance with the provisions of the measures for the payment of party dues by party members of the Kuomintang, 60% of the income from party dues paid by party members at the district level and 40% at the county or city level may be allocated to party members as funds for developing party affairs and serving party members. Due to the limited total amount of party dues collected, difficulties prevail in paying party workers’ salaries, especially after the establishment of committee for preventing improper party property disposal (hereinafter referred to as “the party property association”) on August 31, 2016; the dismissed party workers were supposed to receive their pensions and severance payments within 30 days. When they filed a complaint with the CPC, many local party offices of the Kuomintang closed down. As of May 3, 2018, three Communist Party offices in Pingtung County, three in Jiayi City, two in Tainan, and one in Gaoxiong City closed down based on the complaint of the retired party workers of the Kuomintang.13 The KMT Nantou County Committee was not closed down by the CPC although the county, district, and sub-district committees were underfunded. To save money, the number of party workers has been slashed, leaving only the head of the Puli Party Committee. With only $10 million in cash left, the KMT plans to levy a special membership fee.14 The first plenary session of the 20th Competent executive authorities Committee of the Kuomintang (KMT) was held at the competent executive authorities party headquarters on

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December 9, 2017. According to a report by Qiu Dazhan, Chairman of the KMT Executive Committee of the Bank, all deposits made by the KMT, as of the previous day only 10.1 million NT $4,168 was remaining and 10.54 million NT $6,545 had been frozen by the end of the year, former party chairman Wu Dunyi had raised T $140 million in cash, including T $20 million in his first month in office in August. Business and personnel expenses would be around NT $30 million per month from the end of September to the end of December, and it was hoped that party members would be mobilized to pay special party dues and that contributions to the competent executive authorities and local party offices would be promoted. Qiu Dazhan said that the KMT owns about 10,000 square feet of land, valued at about NT $2 billion, houses of about 16,000 square feet and valued at about NT $1.1 billion, CIC assets of T $34.8 bn, and net of liabilities of about T $15.3 bn, of which the assets are currently frozen. Chiu said he was considering paying “Special party dues” and hoping that contributions to public office would raise nearly NT $200m a year for the party.

(3) One man company Without enough money to pay party workers, the Puli Party Committee (hereinafter referred to as the “town party headquarters”), like its counterparts in other districts, was reduced to a “one-man company.” Even funeral couplets, by their own writing. As Chen Guorong, director of the KMT’s Party department in the park, said, “The operation of the party headquarters at the grassroots level is hard. If the party headquarters closes down and the party headquarters is ‘going out of business’ every day, don’t be surprised, because the ‘one-man company’ is hard-working and can only last for as long as it can … any political party without resources will probably end up being ‘self-deceived.’ The Kuomintang needs to perk up and local party work cannot be reduced, but it is short of money and lacks people and resources. Even the league of elegiac couplets have to find people to raise money, and they have to write their own names in a way of ‘describing.’”.15 The “deserted” public service station16 At that time, the political color of the Community Service Center station was quite strong; after all, the party and the country were one. Each township has a public service station, whose functions involved not only serving people’s lives, helping people do things, but also going to people’s homes to pay their respects and thus develop party members and so on. When Xie Songsheng was chairman of the committee, there were still a number of party workers. The Committee for Prevention of Improper Party Property Disposal set up by the DPP, has, in the past two years, had a great impact on the KMT. Of course, I am not sure, but they may have their own interests. Now, there is only one person left at the KMT headquarters in Puli, which is opened once or twice a week by a secretary named Pan Shushing.

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2 Functions of Political Parties in Nantou County 2.1 Political Parties and Local Community Service Centers (1) Serve the people According to the party constitution, the party organizations at the grassroots level are respectively called “district-level committees” and “district branch committees.” In practice, the term “standardized” was changed to “Community Service Center.” The reason given was to avoid the name of the organization from sounding too “politicized,” which caused antipathy. Therefore, having a sounding similar to a community would help people with different political attitudes accept the “neutral” service facts. As a bridge and medium between the government and the people, the Community Service Center not only helps the poor to apply for assistance, but also deals with family conflicts and social disputes, such as the settlement of divorce cases, traffic cases coordination, and so on. In ordinary times, the Community Service Center is more like a casual tea house, in which many party workers work, ready to provide free tea for the public. In chatting and drinking tea with the people, not only were difficult problems of the people solved by the party members, but also the relationship among the political party, the government, and the people became strenghtened. However, with the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party holding power alternately, especially with the establishment of the CPC, the function of the basic party organization (the Mass Service Society) greatly weakened, with party members becoming even “functionally regressive.” Community Service Centre17 It is called “Community Service Center” because some people do not like to call it what the party says. We prefer to use “Community Service Center” to be closer to people’s lives. In fact, most of what we serve is what people want. At that time, I had prepared two kinds of business cards in my foreign contacts: one was as the director of the Community Service Center, and the other was as the director of the district committee. When Kuomintang was in power, the Community Service Center was at the forefront of government administration. What the government had not done in the past, it was up to us to do, for example, to seek wealth and seek children. If there is a traffic accident, and the two sides need to coordinate, they automatically come to the Community Service Center. We help both parties coordinate and write the mediation papers. If a couple does not get along, we are the ones who get them divorced. In fact, this kind of thing should be solved by the village head, but on the one hand they may feel embarrassed to speak about it inform of the village head, and on the other hand they may also have to pay the village head a little money for the book. Of course, when we deal with divorce cases we adhere to the principle of “Reconciliate but do not persuade,” understand the reasons for the conflict, and after targeted reconciliation, let both sides come back after a week or two and even then if they cannot be convinced, help them write the divorce papers, sign, and seal them. In terms of providing service, the Community Service Center also offers care, for example, if a family in difficulty is faced with the death of a parent(s), the family can apply for a coffin subsidy through the Community Service Center. Another example is

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that of the aborigines who live around Puli; they are mostly uneducated, and many of them do not even know how to write their own names. However, they need a driver’s license, but they cannot pass the test. Our party workers actively tried to find ways to help them, through counseling and repeated explanations. Some cannot read, cannot remember, still we do give them the driver’s license although it’s against the rules; however, we are at zero distance from the people, and if they need anything, we are the first people they approach for help.

(2) Propagandizing the party and government The “Party constitution” requires party organizations at all levels to actively “contact and unite people from all social strata in the areas where they live, support their own party’s views, and carry out their own party policies”; “publicize their own party policies, reflect public sentiments and opinions, grasp the social pulse, expand integration with the masses”; and “recruit Party members and carry out service work.” The KMT has a sound organizational system and a clear division of labor at the grassroots level. There are groups dealing with youth, women, and community relations and public service, as well as groups dealing with publicity and media relations. The enthusiasm and the warmth of the services rendered allows the populace realize the political party policy proposition from the party worker body. Allowing the public to recognize the ideas and policies of political parties not only attracts more people who identify with the political parties to join them, but also helps political parties to gain power at the local and Competent executive authorities levels during elections or consolidate power. Those glorious days are over!18 In fact each Community Service Center agency is an office, and the number of party workers in it varied according to the size of the site. We have seven or eight people in one office, some in charge of operations, some in charge of party organizations, some in charge of women’s work, some in charge of youth work, and divided into different groups. For example, the second group is in charge of the party organization, the third group is in the area of propaganda, the fourth group is for women, and the fifth group is for the youth. The Community Service Center agency also has officers, that is, party headquarters officers. These officers are required to pass an examination for gaining such a position. Having passed the examination of the party headquarters, I felt honored because the Community Service Center personnel are all warm-hearted, dedicated to serving the people, and highly respected and loved by the local people. All the staff in the agency also pay attention to their image: the men always wear a suit and a tie. As long as there are party workers in the Community Service Center agency, its doors remain open to the public at all times. Since there were not too many leisure places at that time, the Community Service Center become a lively place, where a large numbers of people gathered to chat over tea. Many of the people’s problems were resolved in the making of tea. This situation no longer exists; the Community Service Center agency is deserted, and most of the time only the party director is on duty. If something happens to the party director, he may not open the door for several days. A few days ago, I heard from Miss Li that her own grandfather. was a member of the Kuomintang. On his last birthday before his death, the party sent him a cake. Who would have thought that the party workers took a photograph of the cake and old party members together, and after the photo, they took the cake away intact.

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(3) Serving party members According to the Constitution of the Kuomintang, local committees at all levels “Train and manage their cadres,” “Guide party members to carry out social relations,” “Promote local efforts to reform and local development,” “Plan and guide candidates nominated by the party to run for election in various elections,” and other tasks. To this end, serving party members has become the basic responsibility of party organizations at all levels. In party committees at all levels, groups are set up to handle the organization, training, auxiliary election, and party-government relations of the party headquarters to which they belong. On the one hand, the existing systematic organization resources of the party organization are used to and carry out all kinds of activities to build opportunities for party members to expand their contacts while on the other, party members’ personal and family difficulties are also resolved by the Community Service Center agency. The agency also actively provides help to families in need. If an old person dies at home, the district party director sends party workers to mourn and offer condolences. If time permits or the object of concern is special, the party director will personally visit the family. If the family or the deceased person is an important party member, the head of the KMT Nantou County Party Department would also come to the home to offer condolences. For example, when the father-in-law of Pan Yiquan, the Deputy Speaker of the Kuomintang in Nantou County, passed away, most of the people attending the public memorial ceremony were Kuomintang members, in addition to businessmen. Father-in-law of Deputy Speaker of Nantou County Council, Pan Yiquan, laid to rest, crown cover gathered.19 A farewell ceremony was held on 19th for the father-in-law of Nantou County Council Deputy Speaker, Pan Yiquan, bringing together local, political, and business celebrities; however, there were no obituaries and no memorial ceremonies. Wreaths and flower baskets were offered and displayed in public, showing the family’s rich political and business connections. Pan Yiquan’s father-in-law, Shi Chengyu, was a devout Buddhist. He became a monk in Wat Phra Kaeo at an early age. He passed away at the age of 78 because of an illness, but over the past few days from the competent executive authorities to the local, all political parties, business, sports, and police celebrities came to Nianxiang to offer their condolences. At today’s public laying ceremony, Nantou County Magistrate Lin Mingzhen and county council speaker He Shengfeng rushed to Nianxiang early in the morning. At the farewell ceremony, county police chief Chen Mushu led the county’s sub-bureau chiefs and the Police Association at all levels to pay their respects, and Chen Renbang, president of Taiwan Softball Association, led the association cadres to participate in the public memorial ceremony. All my colleagues in the Nantou County Council, the mayor of Puli, Zhou Yixiong, the chairman of the Town Council, Cai Wenzhong, and the candidates who will run for mayor, Councilor, representatives of the town and the chief of the local council were at the scene of the grand gathering. Pan Yiquan of Class 9, Class 5, is currently the President of the Asian Softball Association. He has been elected to the 14th Nantou County Legislature for 21 years since 1998. He has served five terms in the legislature and served two terms as vice president and is one of the most senior members of the Nantou County Council.

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2.2 Mobilization of Local Organizations of Political Parties (1) Organize activities Nearly 40 and 60% of the party dues collected each year are set aside for use by county and district committees, respectively, mainly for activities. According to the Facebook work records of the party departments in counties and districts, two main types of organizational activities are conducted. One is the party’s own activities for its development, the other is public welfare activities. Public welfare activity is mainly concentrated in activities during each kind of festival, such as China’s traditional spring festival, mid-autumn Festival, Chung Yeung Festival, Western Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, etc. The venue of the events is either in the building where the party headquarters is located, in the arts center, in the Community Service Center agency, etc., or in any other commercial venues. The variety of organizational activities, on the one hand enhances the cohesion of party members and on the other expands the local influence of political parties. A director of the Kuomintang district party headquarters recalled, “In previous years, the Kuomintang had a good mass base, and the party workers were more conscientious and responsible. If you go to the people to hold an event or a meeting, you visit the village to inform party members of the specific arrangements and requirements of the event, and the party members offer their complete cooperation. It was a time of mutual respect, mutual support, and the activities held are very popular. It is also in this atmosphere that the development of the Kuomintang has become a vicious cycle, as a result of the seizure of the Kuomintang’s assets, the salaries of party workers cannot be paid. After the nine-in-one election in 2018, KMT chairman Wu Dunyi held “Thanksgiving tea parties” in Nantou and Yunlin County to boost the party morale. Wu Dunyi’s first Thanksgiving Tea Party.20 On the afternoon of December 22, 2018, the KMT Nantou County party headquarters held the “2018 Nantou County five-in-one election chairman Thanksgiving Tea Party” at the Wedding Banquet Hall in the Heart Garden of Nantou City. Vice Chairman of the Kuomintang, Zeng Yongquan; chairman of the organizing and Development Committee, Li Zhehua; Member of the Competent executive authorities Standing Committee, Yao Jianglin; You Jiafu; Liu Dabei; Li Dewei; Nantou County Magistrate, Lin Mingzhen; Taiwan legislator Ma Wenjun; Xu Shuhua; members of the Party and Parliament; deputies from the People’s Congress; and about 200 cadres from various towns and cities participated in the election process. First, the Chief Committee of the County Party Department, Hong Rongzhang, thanked all the experienced comrades for their full solidarity with the party and their unyielding support. Despite the party’s lack of resources, the fact that everyone was willing to be a volunteer and stand firmly with the party to fight for the auxiliary election led to a wonderful result; before the election, three promises were made: first, the county magistrate must be re-elected with a high number of votes; second, county councilors must have a stable majority; and third, the township and municipal mayors must have a majority. The county chief won more than 98,000 votes, a record for Nantou, and county councilors have 37 seats in parliament, including 21 for the Kuomintang, 8 for the Nonparty, and 8 for the Democratic Progressive Party Another township mayor did not get more than half, deeply sorry! Unable to achieve

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his goal as chairman, he resigned on November 26, as promised before the election. Thank you for your support and care during this period. No matter where we are in the future, our common goal ~2020 is to make the blue sky reappear. President Wu Dunyi, in addition to congratulating Lin Mingzhen and the people nominated by all parties, also thanked the Nantou villagers. Without Nantou, there would have been no Wu Dunyi, he said. He sincerely expressed his eternal gratitude to Nantou villagers. Wu Dunyi also proposed that any local or even Competent executive authorities heads and ministries should have four important pillars for the stability and progress of national society and for people’s peace of mind: (1) honest and competent, efficient, kind, and diligent government and parliament; (2) prosperity and economic progress; (3) harmonious labor and capital, harmony between generations, and respect for both sexes; and (4) peaceful and stable crossstraits relations. No matter which party forms the “Competent administrative authorities,” local government, or parliament, we must implement these four pillars. Let us work together to ensure a better life for our people and peaceful development on both sides of the straits.

(2) Integrate resources Whether in power or in opposition, political parties hope that an increasing number of people accept their political ideals so that they can finally become the ruling party to lead the people and put the party’s ideas into practice. To this end, each party actively recruits party members, uses systematic resources, and through organic integration strives on the one hand to help promote the strength of political parties and on the other for more opportunities for the ruling party. During the period of the one-party rule of the Kuomintang, there were Kuomintang organizations in all fields such as the army, civil servants, schools, and the police. According to the district party department directors interviewed, “In a situation when the KMT has been in power, numerous Community Service Center agencies have acted as a bridge between the people and the government. It would be strange if it were not in power.” Advantages of resource integration.21 At that time, the Kuomintang played an important role in daily political life, and party headquarters were found in the army, in schools, and in police stations; and special party headquarters, such as the party headquarters of the Huang Ba Xing and the “Tian Shan party headquarters” were common in the system of the Taiwan Provincial Government Departments. In short, party headquarters were set up in all walks of life. Party headquarters were also in the highway system, in the railway system, in the enterprises, party in Agriculture, in the fisheries, and in the farmland and water conservancy. Even the Puli Distillery has its own party department. Most of them are Kuomintang members. They are all one big family. Although we are in different jobs, and contact is not often, if one needs any information, it can be quickly obtained, and the support they want is often higher than their expectations. If there is regular contact between party members or party headquarters, the relationship is even closer. Through a variety of activities, it is easy to turn a strange party worker into a familiar friend. When relations between people become familiar, the party organization’s power of control and restriction over various matters is strengthened, such as collection of party dues, fund-raising, and holding elections. Later, owing to the heavy historical burden of the Kuomintang, serious corruption charges, and the split of the inner camp, the party was twice replaced by a young DPP. This also reveals how the KMT’s ability to integrate resources has become greatly challenged.

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(3) Ancillary elections The KMT constitution clearly stipulates the tasks of party committees at all levels and that they shall “Mobilize support for the candidates nominated by their own party to run for various elections.” To carry out this work, the first working group of each party department is “in charge of the organization, training, auxiliary election, and party-government relations of the party department.” Generally, the auxiliary work is assigned by the party departments to candidates who withdraw from the party: first, to assist in the planning of election campaigns, organize the Electoral Assistance Teams, and guide the election campaigns; second, to guide the writing and auditing of political opinions and to guide the attitude of expressing political opinions; third, to guide the design, drawing, calligraphy, and posting of campaign posters and campaigns. This shows that the party’s auxiliary election of candidates is quite comprehensive and targeted. Although the Kuomintang, the Democratic Progressive Party, and other political parties have similar roles and different approaches in conducting elections, they must all follow the relevant provisions of the “Law on election and recall” because as per the “Local system law” an “excessive secondary election” is to be avoided.22 As long as a candidate is nominated by a national, the candidate will be elected without much difficulty.23 I think it’s important for any candidate to join a political party because the backing of a political party can help win votes. For example, if the district party headquarters of the Kuomintang is willing to assist a Kuomintang candidate in a secondary election, it can do a lot of secret moves to win votes for him. As long as the party headquarters decided to support candidate so-and-so, such organizations as the Women’s Association under the Kuomintang, would take the initiative to help them promote and canvass for votes. In fact, this is not only the practice of the Kuomintang, but also that of the Democratic Progressive Party. Over the past few years, the Kuomintang has run out of funds, and its activities have been curtailed; therefore, the results of the auxiliary elections have not been as remarkable as before. When funds were available, the district party headquarters held occasional events, such as cooking contests or other small activities. Many of the members of such social organizations as the Women’s Association and the mother teachers were members of the Kuomintang. District party offices and district branches, or what we call the party groups, are present in each of them. The peasant association system, the Farmland Water Conservancy Association system, and so on are all the Kuomintang’s vote warehouse. Therefore, with such a large organizational system, as long as a candidate has national nomination, winning the election will not be a problem.

2.3 Local Political Expression of Political Parties Political expression refers to the process in which citizens express their political views and attitudes through the means and opportunities permitted by the constitutional provisions in Taiwan, thus influencing government policies. The means of political expression mainly include political assembly, political petition, political speech, and other institutional and non-institutional expressions.

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(1) Members’ comments In Nantou County’s 19th Parliament, 37 seats are held by 17 KMT members, 8 by DPP members, and 11 by non-party members; in the 20th Parliament, the Kuomintang occupied 21 seats, the non-party members had 8 seats, and the Democratic Progressive Party 8 seats. To facilitate the activities of political parties, the county councils provide offices for political parties, such as the office of the Democratic Progressive Party caucus in the county councils and the office of the Kuomintang caucus in the county councils. All political parties may carry out the work of the relevant party organizations in accordance with the law, whether during session or recess of the county council meeting. The use of legal forms for the dissemination of party ideas or the raising of questions in parliament on the administration of the government is based on party ideas. By combining the communique of Nantou County’s 18th legislature, it can be seen that county councilors who are in a vulnerable position are particularly concerned about the administration of the Nantou County Government and the behavior of the Nantou County Magistrate; they put forward a pointed opinion. When the KMT county magistrate, Lin Mingzhen’s name was besmirched, many DPP county councilors took turns to question and point out that the county magistrate’s administration lacks the idea of putting people first, for example, they said that the money used to control flooding should be used in sand sculpture pavilions for tourism and sightseeing. The question of the membership of the Democratic Progressive Party of Nantou County24 Lin county magistrate, Why have you been slandering our Democratic Progressive Party group from the outside, saying that our Democratic Progressive Party is blocking the construction of the county seat? The construction of the sand sculpture has any money to delete in our fourth group; We have given you our full support to letting you pass. Congressman Luo Meiling and Chen Hanli are concerned about the frequent flooding in Nantou County and the damage caused by the floods. We accept the public opinion and ask our county magistrate in the council chamber to resolve the suffering caused by floods. We did not stop the construction of the county government or of the sand sculptures. If we had stopped the sand sculptures, you wouldn’t have been able to do it last year. We fully support it, and we hope that all of Nantou County can develop because of it. However, is it wrong for us to seek a discussion on the whole construction of the county government? Should our councilors reflect public opinion in the Assembly Hall, magistrate? It is inconceivable to us that you would suggest that we, the DPP, are blocking you. As the county magistrate, with your stature, magnanimity, and vision, how can you have such an attitude? We are dismayed. We are here only to restore the truth, be it of the high-tech Park, the construction of sand sculptures, or anything else. Our own party group did not block the construction; however, we hope that the suffering caused by the flooding of the Meoluo River can be ameliorated in Nantou City. County magistrate, am I right in saying this? Didn’t you say the other day that the trumpet of the Pinglin Bridge was blocked? I said that this 60 million, you can take it to the trumpet to dredge it so that the water won’t flow back and cause flooding every year. Didn’t I say that? Magistrate, didn’t you tell me that? I now ask you, how do you say I have blocked your construction, your sand sculpture? Let’s ask all the people of Nantou County county, the people of Nantou County county are wise, it’s not the county magistrate out there talking nonsense, smearing, distorting, and slandering. We don’t believe that, I hope as the county magistrate, you hold yourself to a high standard in what you say.

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(2) Collective petition Neither the KMT nor the DPP, nor any other party in Taiwan Island, wants to represent the interests of the vast majority of the people, speak out for them, and fight for their welfare. On the political stage in Puli (both the 17th mayor and the 20th Chairman of the Town People’s Congress are members of the Kuomintang). The DPP town people’s representatives, in addition to actively supervising the administration of the public office at the Town People’s Congress, also rely on their own constituencies to actively participate in mass petitions, demonstrations, and protests. The Puli Town Hall planned to build a funeral home in the seventh cemetery. After getting approval from the Nantou County Government, the move was strongly protested by the local people. Nearly 100 people gathered at the town hall to denounce it. Later, they carried paper-covered “prop coffins” to protest near the bridge at the entrance to the Liyutan scenic area, questioning the Cui Hang of the Nantou County government and the Puli public office for betraying public opinion, and they burned the coffins to show their anger. Objection. Black Box. Location reassessed.25 The public office of Puli Town in Nantou County planned to build a funeral home in the 7th cemetery. However, due to the proximity of the place to the Liyutan scenic area and water source, the local people were afraid that it would affect the local tourism industry and their livelihood needs. The county government appealed to the public office to postpone the re-evaluation, but the project was still approved. People who were against the establishment of the funeral home self-help society gathered nearly 100 others to hold up signs and shout slogans; they carried paper-covered “prop coffins” to protest near the big bridge at the entrance to the Lei Yue Tam Scenic Area, questioning the Cui Hang of the Nantou County government and the Puli public office for turning their backs on public opinion, and the public displayed their outraged by burning the coffins. Wugong Li opposed the establishment of the funeral home self-help society, pointing out that before the funeral home was planned, the public office had never held an explanation meeting. It was found that the move was only hastily explained, public opinion was not sought, and Kwan Shan was forced to this end, in May and November last year, when villagers gathered at the county government and parliament to make a petition. County magistrate Lin Mingzhen wanted to create a “County-level scenic area” by linking Liyu Pond and Hutoushan. He promised to scrutinize the construction of the funeral parlor strictly and wait for years to deal with it again, when unexpectedly, the county government in February this year approved the local public place in the carp pond entrance for the funeral parlor home. In response, county magistrate Lin Mingzhen said that the county government had suggested that the public office reassess the location of the funeral parlor and did not promise that the construction project would be delayed until after the election or would be stopped, as the construction and schedule are still under the autonomy of the public office. Land and project contract procedures are legal premise and in the face of the public office application, can only be processed in accordance with the law, thus hoping to strengthen communication between the public office and the locals.

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In response to the protesters’ question about the outrageous site selection and land acquisition process of the funeral parlor, the mayor of Puli, Zhou Yixiong, responded by saying that planning for the funeral parlor is to meet the demand of the people, and that all the processes are open and legal; he said, there is absolutely no black box, and the construction of the funeral parlor would be hidden and not in the water upstream. Further, he said that after the assessment it was found that building the funeral home would not affect the water or tourism.

(3) Political speeches In addition to expressing their political views in the county councils, town councils, and public places through lawful means (questioning, marching, protesting, gathering, and petitioning), representatives can also use the media (network media, print media, and self-media) to promote their political views, influence government policy, and behavior. He Huijuan, a representative of the Democratic Progressive Party of Puli, held a press conference on a number of occasions to raise objections to the administration of Puli Town Hall. Through the print media, social media (their own Facebook page), and other channels, he published his views. In the second half of 2018 alone, he spoke on the issue of the 108 tender for the road paving of Puli Town office, the budget of Public Works, the issue of zero debt, the change of the Secretary of the Office Director, the construction of a funeral home, and the transplantation of trees. DPP county party headquarters hold press conference to clarify political views.26 Nantou County chief Lin Mingzhen told a KMT auxiliary election conference recently that free school lunches are a good policy and will be stopped if the DPP becomes the county chief. The DPP’s County party headquarters held a press conference today to criticize Lin Mingzhen’s speculations, which were aimed at tarnishing the green camp’s candidate for County Governor, Hong Guohao. Hong Rongzhang, head of the KMT’s Nantou County Party Department, said Wei Ming-ku, a DPP county magistrate from Zhanghua, stopped the free lunch promoted by the former county magistrate when he took office and resumed it only when the election campaign was nearing, causing concern among the people of Nantou County. Lin Mingzhen said that he only stated the situation and did not mean it in a defamatory way. The DPP county party chief said that during the KMT auxiliary election meeting the other day, Lin Mingzhen had tarnished Hung Kuo Ho, in his reference to free school lunches as a good policy of the county government and saying that if Hung Kuo Ho of the DPP was elected as the next county chief, free school lunches may be discontinued. This speculation, she said, is completely baseless. She reminded Lin Mingzhen that spreading false rumors to influence the election was a violation of the law. As long as it is a good policy, Zhang said, the DPP’s Nantou County magistrate will certainly continue the practice of providing free lunched to all primary and secondary school students in the county. In fact, the free school lunch was proposed more than 10 years ago when Cai Huang Lang wanted to be elected county magistrate; however, Cai was not elected, and the elected Li chaoqing was the first to implement this scheme, and not Lin Mingzhen.

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3 Political Relations of Political Parties in Nantou County 3.1 A Small Party Cabinet Within a Local Government Since the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party took turns to come to power in Taiwan, it has emerged that the party that won the election has distributed some of its administrative posts to its main cadres, the so-called “Political party split”. On the one hand, the party members who have made contributions in the election were to be affirmed and encouraged. This kind of demonstration effect can make more party members serve the political parties On the other hand, the party can effectively control the administrative system and state organs, such as the secretarygeneral, by arranging its own members to occupy the main administrative positions, which will not only enhance the overall strength of the party, but also consolidate its legitimacy. For example, when the mayor of a county takes office, the administrative team that forms the cabinet includes the deputy head and secretary-general of the noncivil service. For the “system” (civil service) relevant departments, departments and offices of the head of the agency will be replaced. For example, after Lin Mingzhen was elected to the list of county magistrates of Nantou in 2014, Chen Zhengsheng, the former secretary general of the Nantou County Government, was promoted to the post of deputy county chief. Fang Xinxiong, director of the Environmental Protection Bureau, was promoted as the Secretary General. Likewise, Xiao Wencheng, who was formerly the director of Lin Mingzhen’s parliamentary office, took over as secretary; Li Zhengwei, who was formerly the Chief Secretary of the Taizhong City Dadun Cultural Center, took over as Deputy Director of the Public Works Department; and Zhang Zixiao, who retired as head of the Ren Ai Township, took over as director of the People’s Bureau, and construction director Zeng Renlong took over as secretary. Other important changes include the following: Director of Social Affairs, Wu Yanling, became Director of Civil Affairs; former Commissioner of the Research, Development, and Evaluation Commission, Hong Ruizhi, took over from director of construction; Deputy Executive Director of the Competent executive authorities Office of the Executive, Yuan Lin Junwu, took over from director of Social Affairs; former Director of Civil Affairs, Jian Qingsong, was transferred to the District Lands Department, former county secretary, Huang Jingru, was transferred to the Environmental Protection Bureau, and Former Director of Civil Affairs, Lin Rongsen, was transferred to the Cultural Bureau. Lin Mingzhen explained that Zhang Zixiao and Zeng Renlong were involved in the disaster repair project fraud case, “We consulted many local legislators and local leaders, and we all agree that Zhang Zixiao is competent for the phased tasks. He and Zeng Renlong should step down if they are found guilty.”27 In 2018, Lin Mingzhen was reelected as Nantou County Chief. When the cabinet was formed, only the head of the Social and Labor Department, Lin Junwu, left for health reasons, and Lin Zhizhong was promoted to the post of deputy director of the Social and Labor Department. The other key officials were not changed, but

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Zhou Yixiong, the mayor of the Kuomintang in Puli, who has served two consecutive terms, had “no place to go.” Lin Mingzhen denied rumors of a possible transfer to the Nantou County Government, or even a request for a position as head of a room.28

3.2 Relations Between Political Parties in the Relations Between Local Governments (1) Party relations under intergovernmental relations Since the implementation of local autonomy in Taiwan, local governments at all levels have a certain autonomy, relative independence, and certain delicate relations with higher governments. Especially under the influence of political parties, the intergovernmental relationship between the upper and lower levels is particularly obvious. If the two levels of heads of government belong to the same party, the inter-governmental relations are more harmonious than those where the heads of government are from different parties. For example, Lin Mingzhen, the head of Nantou County, is a member of the Kuomintang, as is Zhou Yixiong, the mayor of Puli. Compared with Caotun, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, Lin Mingzhen is more supportive of Puli-related work. Regardless of the degree of financial support offered, at least on the face of it, he is more supportive of Puli. For example, when the 2018 Puli District Water Lantern Festival was officially inaugurated on the evening of February 9, county magistrate Lin Mingzhen and KMT competent legislative authorities Ma Wenjun attended to cheer for Mayor Zhou Yixiong. On the 18th birthday of the 18th Queen Mother of the West of the 10th lunar month in 2016, county magistrate Lin Mingzhen made a special visit to the temple of the mother goddess in Puli in the morning and presided over a ceremony to celebrate the lighting of incense. The same is true of inter-governmental relations between the two Democratic Progressive parties. On July 30, 2018, “Premier” Lai Qingde was accompanied by competent transportation and communication authorities Wu Hongmou, Secretarygeneral of the Competent executive authorities, Chuo Rung-tai, Spokesperson of the Competent executive authorities, Kolas Yotaka, and candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party’s Nantou County Chief, Hong Guohao, in his visit to the Monument Park of the geographical center of Taiwan in Puli. On hearing the local views on the upgrading of the Special Area of the county-level scenery of the Geographical Center Monument to Sun Moon Lake into a “National Scenic Area,” he promised that he would increase funding and repair the damages in the facilities.29 According to the news report of Lai Qingde’s visit to Hutoushan scenic spot in Puli Town on that day and the interviews, it was clear that all the participants on that day were basically green camp personnel, such as DPP county councilor, DPP mayor of Caotun, DPP competent legislative authorities Tsai Pei-hui, etc. A small number of non-party people and university professors were also there. The only exceptions

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were members of the Kuomintang. Nantou County Mayor Lin Mingzhen, and Puli Mayor Zhou Yixiong. The Hutoushan Scenic Area received a subsidy of NT $30 million from the “Forward planning” program.30 Lai Qingde and his officials from the competent transportation and communication authorities Bureau surveyed the Geographical Center Monument and the Hutoushan Mountain to determine the area to be brought under the jurisdiction of the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area. Further to arrange for management manpower, the county government also approved the plan for the Hutoushan Special Scenic Area. The county government is striving for forward-looking infrastructure construction this year, with a Competent executive authorities subsidy of 30 million yuan. The Tourism Bureau has approved the plan; nearly 2.5 km from the geographical center to Hutoushan is currently paved with tarmac and drainage ditches have been improved on both sides. In addition, the paving of the climbing path leading to the triangle point, the viewing platform, the handrail of the steps, and the triangle point are also under construction and being beautified. The construction period is expected to be completed by the end of February 2019.

(2) Relations between different parties under inter-governmental relations Compared with the inter-governmental relations under the same party, intergovernmental relations between different parties are a little “stiff.” For example, since the founding of Nantou County, the vast majority of county chiefs have been members of the Kuomintang, leaving only official contacts with the higher governments currently in power under the DPP. Between June 30, 2018, and August 11, 2018, Cai Yingwen visited Nantou twice in 43 days (including Caotun) but did not meet with Nantou County magistrate Lin Mingzhen, who is a member of the Kuomintang. He was accompanied only by the DPP’s mayor of Caotun, Hong Guohao, the DPP’s competent legislative authorities Jing-Yi Lin, Tsai pei-hui, and local party posts (DPP membership). Of course, from the time Cai Yingwen visited Nantou County, the county magistrate Lin Mingzhen did not have time to go receive him as both visits were scheduled for the weekend, and during non-working hours. On the other hand, the purpose of Cai Yingwen’s two visits to Nantou was to campaign for the “Five-in-one” secondary election. On June 30, while on an expedition to Caotun, Cai Yingwen said, “Hong Guohao and his team, almost like a magician, turned a cemetery plot into a park … After eight years, he turned one hundred and eighty million percent of Caotun’s debt into five hundred and thirty million per cent of its assets.”31 On August 11, Cai Yingwen’s intentions were clearer. Accompanied by Nantou County chief candidate Hong Guohao, “National policy adviser” Lin Minghatake, former Nantou County Chief, Peng baixian, Deputy Chief Executive of the Joint Service Center of the Competent executive authorities of the Competent executive authorities, Tang huosheng, “Legislator” Huang Guoshu, convener of the Election Committee, Lin Xiyao, Party Secretary, Hong Yaofu, and local party officials, Cai Yingwen attended the “Reform in support of Taiwan” flag swearing-in ceremony in Nantou County to present the

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flag to all candidates of the party. Cai office secretary-general, Chen Chu, “Minister of Health and Welfare.” Chen Shizhong, and “Agricultural Committee Chairman,” Lin Congxian, were also invited to address the scene, the Nantou County county magistrate Lin Mingzhen never showed up. Zhongxing New Village,32 home to the Taiwan Provincial Government, had its moment of glory. In 1998, when the government reorganized itself into the Taiwan Provincial Government, most of the provincial government offices were abolished, and Zhongxing New Village’s importance began to wane. In 1999, many buildings in Zhongxing New Village were destroyed by the “9/21” earthquake. A matter of concern for both the Nantou County Government and the governments at higher levels was how to rejuvenate Zhongxing New Village, which covers an area of about 7.07 square kilometers. However, the KMT Nantou County Magistrate and the DPP civil servants had different considerations on how to “activate” the place. Both Cai Yingwen’s remarks on Zhongxing New Village during his two campaigns in Nantou and Lai Qingde’s views on the revitalization of the competent executive authorities new village are in line with those of Hong Guohao, the DPP’s candidate for County Governor, but Lin Mingzhen’s views were never commented on.

3.3 Relations Between Political Parties in the Halls of Deliberation As different political parties have different political views, the solutions to the same problem are different. In order to demonstrate the ability of the political parties and win the approval of the public, or to safeguard the interests of the political parties, the members of the political parties use all the legal means at their disposal to win over the public, especially parties that are in the minority in the county councils. Relations between the Nantou County Council and the DPP are “moderate” compared with party relations in other county and city councils across Taiwan, at least there is no physical confrontation. However, in Nantou County’s 18th Parliament, of the 37 members, the KMT has 17, the DPP 9, and the non-party 10. He shengfeng, the Speaker of the Nantou County Assembly, and Pan Yiquan, the deputy speaker, are members of the KMT. The relatively small number of DPP members of parliament makes it difficult to have a voice in county councils. As a “mouthpiece of the people,” it takes turns to question the KMT Nantou County Magistrate in the periodic meetings held. Chen Zhengsheng, deputy county magistrate of Nantou County, described the move by DPP county councilors as going “against just for the sake of going against.”33 In Nantou County’s “five-in-one” county council elections in 2018, the KMT took 17 of a total of 37 seats in the county council, the DPP took 8, 12 seats went those with no party affiliation, and less than half of the seats were blue or green. With the election of the Nantou County Council and the Deputy Speaker imminent, the current Speaker of the KMT, He Shengfeng, and the deputy speaker, Pan Yiquan,

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will seek re-election together. The movement of the DPP is also being watched. It is understood that to live up to the expectations of public opinion, the green camp stressed that it “will not be absent” and will also recommend candidates for election. If there really is no chance of winning, the eight members will consider “going in together” and select both the candidates nominated by the party for the position of the speaker and deputy speaker, show due unity, party character, and backbone.34 It is not hard to see that in Nantou County’s parliament the struggle between the KMT and the DPP has been ongoing, but in a more moderate range. For the first time ever! County councilor’s proposal to send colleagues to disciplinary committee.35 Nantou County congressman, Zeng Zhenyan, pointed out in the parliamentary assembly today that he was arrested for supporting, unexpectedly, Chen Zhaoyu, the current chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party’s Nantou County Party department. News spread on the internet with critics calling it as “Poor Kuomintang members, fawning to such an extent that they are willing to stoop to being county magistrate Lin Mingzhen’s card-bearer.” Parliament was asked to send Chen Zhaoyu to the disciplinary committee for disciplinary action. It was the first time in the history of the Nantou County Council that He Shengfeng, the speaker, had been bothered by a proposal by a member of Parliament to send his colleagues to a disciplinary committee. He said that the submission to the disciplinary committee would be subject to a vote by members. He would first familiarize himself with the relevant ordinances and co-ordinate them. However, according to the administrative rules set up by the Nantou County Council, a member shall only be sent to the disciplinary committee if they commit any act such as obstruction of order in the meeting place, but Chen Zhaoyu’s speech outside the meeting place did not meet the requirements for sending him to the disciplinary committee. Event Review: The development and improvement of three ring roads in Caotun, including Fulin Road, with a total project cost of nearly 550 million yuan and local matching funds of over 280 million yuan, left the town office dissatisfied since the county government was willing to pay no more than 27 million yuan. County magistrate Lin Mingzhen held a press conference at the end of July to express that the county government’s funds for road opening are limited, and the needs of 13 towns and cities must be considered. Zeng stood next to Lin Mingzhen with a sign that read, “Local construction should be comprehensive, not advantage Caotun town.” A number of KMT and non-party members present at the meeting also spoke one after another, saying that Nantou “built the county in peace,” and that there should be no party affiliation in the way of political affairs, and that each member of Parliament has his own stage of political affairs performance, and should not for the sake of personal political party interests, do this name calling, hurt the feelings of fellow members of Parliament. They said that this wind cannot last long and Chen Zhao should be sent to the disciplinary committee; However, DPP legislators Liao Ziyou and Zhang Zhiming said they hoped the speaker would first step in and bring about coordination. Tseng Chung-hoi, the DPP’s chief executive in Nantou County, stressed that the DPP would never compromise if KMT MPs tried to manipulate public issues into a political issue, and accused the KMT of using the disciplinary committee to try to obscure the focus.

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Notes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6.

7.

8.

9. 10. 11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

Zonghe: The KMT has four times as many members as the DPP, the https://www.jfdaily.com/ news/detail?id=39410, 16 December 2016. Zhang Jiale: Nantou Party members double to over 4000. https://udn.com/news/story/11322/ 3114708, 29 April 2018. Nantou County Township mayoral election Puli candidates no. Of voteshttps://vote.2018.NAT. GOV.TW/PC/ZH_TW/TD/nm10008010200000000.html. https://party.moi.gov.tw/pgms/politics/party!list.action. The selection and appointment committee members shall be the current party member, the mayor of the county or city, the “Competent legislative authorities”, the speaker of the county or city council, the Deputy Speaker, the secretary-general of the party or league, the convenor of the working committees at the county level, and the leading cadres of important mass organizations, the party department of a county or city shall apply to the party department of a higher level for recruitment. The ex-officio members shall be the chairman, the deputy chairman and the Chairman of the party department in the township and urban areas. The chairman of the branch committee of “Retired National Army personnel”and the general director of the Youth Work Association of each county and City serve as vice-chairmen and ex-officio members of the association. The qualification of the assessor is: he has been a member of the municipal, county or city committee for more than one term, or he is enthusiastic in party affairs and has made concrete contributions. The Disciplinary Committee shall appoint One Standing Committee member and five to fifteen members, all of whom shall be appointed by the party headquarters at a higher level. The Disciplinary Committee shall meet once every three months, on an ad hoc basis when necessary, and shall be chaired by its standing members. If the standing committee members are unable to attend for any reason, the standing committee members shall nominate one person to preside over the meeting. The resolution items shall be submitted to this council for approval before implementation. List of total members of the Kuomintang and the number of members of each county and municipality, www.kmt.org.tw/2017/01/blog-post_93.html, 11 January 2017. http://www.taihainet.com/news/twnews/twdnsz/2017-01-12/1937528.html. Huang Yancheng: the “Competent Supervisory authorities”announced that the revenue and expenditure of the political parties in 2017 had decreased by 88.68 million yuan, while the https://tw.news.yahoo.com/competent Supervisory authorities announced that the Revenue and expenditure of the political parties in 2017 had decreased by 88.68 million yuan-074400751.HTML, 26 December 2018. The political donations of the Kuomintang totaled NT 33.37 million, of which personal donations accounted for the largest amount, NT 25.91 million, NT $103. Compared with 2016, personal donations decreased by NT $39.84 million, more than nt $47.99 million in donations to for-profit causes. As for the KMT’s expenditure on political contributions, the KMT spent nt $75.314,037 in 2017, mainly including NT $56.839,440 on personnel expenses, with a balance of minus nt $41.943,284. Wang Jiajun: nine local party headquarters have been closed down, the KMT criticized the party property will freeze the damage, the https://tw.news.appledaily.com/politics/realtime/ 20180523/1359420, 23 May 2018. Weng rongjuan:“There were only ten million in cash left,”and the Kuomintang, when they were poor, demanded special party dues and https://www.ettoday.net/news/20171209/106 9167.htm, 9 December 2017. Huang Wenjie: the Kuomintang local party headquarters is very miserable! It’s worse than the worst, http://www.crntt.tw/doc/1047/6/4/4/104764466.html?coluid=7&kindid=0&docid= 104764466, 1 August 2017. 20,180,804 interview audio collation.

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17. 20,180,726 interview audio collation. 18. 20,180,727 interview audio collation. 19. Yang Shuhuang: Speaker Pan Yiquan father-in-law laid a grave, crown cover gathered, https:// www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20180919003595-260405. 20. https://www.facebook.com/nantou1kmt, 22 December 2018. 21. 20,180,727 interview audio collation. 22. Forthcoming County and city elections in Taiwan Province, Joint Review, Friday, November 12, 1959, 4th edition. 23. 20,180,805 interview audio collation. 24. Excerpts from the 18th issue of the Nantou County Council, with deletions. 25. Lai xiangshan, a funeral parlour will be built at Lei Yue Tam Entrance? Local anti-coffin protests, https://udn.com/news/story/7325/3255370, 16 July 2018. 26. Zhang Jiale: in order to free lunch, Nantou County Green Camp Approved County Magistrate Lin Mingzhen smear, United Daily News, https://udn.com/news/story/7325/3243282?from= udn-referralnews_ch2artbottom, 9 July 2018. 27. Shen Huisheng: Cast County new team, Chen Zhengsheng promoted to deputy county chief, https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/newspapers/20141219000544-260107, China Times, 19 December 2014. 28. Chen Fengli: the Nantou County government team will only change one person in March there will be the second wave of changes, http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/265 1205, 自由时报, 23 December 2018. 29. Visiting Taiwan’s geographical centre, Lai Coyett supported the upgrading of the Hu Tou Shan scenic spot, the https://www.setn.com/news.aspx?newsid=409920, 30 July 2018. 30. Liao Zhaoxiang: Hutoushan Road Landscape Project, completed in February next year, https://tw.news.yahoo.com Road landscape project-completed in February next year215008985.HTML, 7 December 2018. 31. Chan Hung kwok-ho is like a magician, Cai Yingwen Nantou County chief election campaign “Chess”to win, https://www.dpp.org.tw/media/contents/8324, 30 June 2018. 32. .Located at the foot of the Tiger Hill in Nantou City, Zhongxing New Village is a Taiwan Provincial Government base in Nantou City, Nantou County, Taiwan. It was started in 1955 and moved to this office in 1956 from Taiwan Provincial Government in Taipei, in 1957, the urban design was modeled after the “New Town” in London, England. After the implementation of the Taiwan Provincial Government function business and organization adjustment (provincial virtualization), the function of Zhongxing New Village’s former provincial government offices is no longer in service and is facing the transformation of its development orientation. 33. Lin Gu Long: Chen Zheng Sheng analysis of the south vote: Blue cautious optimism, green action big, http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1049/2/6/8/104926819.html?coluid=93&kindid= 5670&docid=104926819, 30 December 2017. 34. Xie Jieyu: Nantou vice-president of the debate, the blue struggle for re-election green is not absent, http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/local/paper/1249952, 28 November 2018. 35. Zhang Xiesheng: the first time in history! The County Councilor’s proposal sends colleagues to the disciplinary committee, the http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/1811037, 30 August 2016.

Chapter 6

The Relationship Between the County Councils and Government

Mr. Sun Yat-sen designed the “separation of powers” system by avoiding the shortcomings of the western “separation of powers” based on executive power, legislative power, and judicial power, by adding examination power and procuratorial power. By examining the relations between the Nantou County Government and the county council, the Puli public office and the Town People’s Congress, and the other town governments in the county, it was found that they are influenced by factors such as political parties, factional relations, and interest relations, and that the relationship between the government and the parliament (the township public office and the Township People’s Congress) is diverse. Different types of government-government relations directly affect or restrict the effectiveness of local or grassroots government governance.

1 Relations Between the Government and the Local Councils of Nantou County 1.1 Government and Council Daily Contact Between Councilman and County Councils County councilors, as the mouthpiece of the people in the county, supervise the administration of the government on the one hand, give feedback regarding the people’s needs to the government on the other hand, and strive for the corresponding co-operation funds through the efforts of county councilors to meet the needs of the people. For the county government and its related agencies, if county councilors take their own initiative to reflect the needs of the people and if the county government responds in a timely manner, it will not only enhance the people’s recognition of the government in power, but also increase the legitimacy of the political party, gain the © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_6

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favor of the county councilors in the county government, and harmonize the relationship between the county and government. For county councilors, their own efforts to meet the needs of the people can not only prove their ability to serve, but also help them become re-elected by word of mouth. Therefore, be the county government organs, or the county councilors, daily contact and interaction should be the focus. When it comes to the use of matching funds, county councilors make proposals based on the specific needs of the people in their respective constituencies. Proposals by members should be of a public interest nature and the items to be implemented must be in the equipment or engineering category.1 The proposal by the county government and its agencies, according to actual needs based on on-site investigation, and production of Investigation Records, are signed and approved after processing. If the proposal is forwarded by the township (town, City) office, the office first handles the survey and sends the proposed items and survey records to the county government. After the proposal is approved, it shall be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions of the government procurement law. After the completion of the project, it is sent to the allocation unit for on-site acceptance and to ensure that the project is up to standard with correct use of funds.

Sessional Communication Between County Councils and Government Bodies To strengthen the working relationship between the county government and the county council during the meeting, the Nantou County Government has established “Key points for the implementation of the work of strengthening the liaison between the Nantou County Government and the county council,” and a special “liaison group between the government and the county council.” The liaison group shall be convened by the secretary-general, the deputy convenor, who is the Director of Civil Affairs, and a confidential secretary (or an appropriate person appointed by the District Chief); members of the Government Liaison Group are appointed by all units and their agencies (including the police, the fire department, the Health Bureau, the Environmental Protection Bureau, the First Nations Administration Bureau, the Culture Bureau, the Tax Bureau, the Livestock Disease Prevention and Treatment Institute, the Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment Institute, and the Nantou County Agricultural Products Marketing Co. Ltd.) to be responsible for the liaison work between the respective units and the parliament. During the sessions of the county councils, Liaison Officers are responsible for liaison work in the respective units, and they take turns in the Liaison Office of the Council House. All unit liaison officers will be present during the general parliamentary inquiry or the unit’s work report and the group review, so that they can be contacted at any time. To ensure due diligence of the contact person, the Nantou County Government shall appoint a liaison officer who is “familiar with the business unit,” “has a warm and responsible spirit of service,” and “a proactive work attitude.” At the same time, a system should also be in place to ensure that the focal points perform their respective functions. For example, “duty personnel shall not be

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absent without leave; if due to a major accident, rotation is not possible, a notification should be signed in advance and sent through an agent” as part of the disciplinary requirements. The procedural requirement is that “the liaison officer shall register this notice and send it to the unit concerned for prompt handling of the member’s affairs.” “All liaison officers will be contacted by the Department for outstanding performance or successful completion of a task and shall be awarded a merit award; if there is incompetence, or dereliction of duty, in accordance with the rules and regulations office, performance incentives are reduced.

1.2 Government-to-Government Interaction Inquiry and Preparation Articles 48 and 49 of the law on local systems stipulates that, “When the county (City) parliament, the township (town, City) People’s Congress meets regularly, the mayor of the municipality directly under the competent administrative authorities, the mayor of the county (City), and the mayor of the township (town, City) shall submit a policy report; the heads of the units at each level of the county (City) government, the township (town, City) public office, and the heads of the organs under their jurisdiction shall submit a report on the business in charge. County (City) councilors and representatives of townships (towns and cities) shall have the right to inquire into the business of the chief executive or the head of the unit mentioned in the preceding paragraph when the Parliament or its representatives meet regularly; the inquiries shall be divided into the general administration inquiry and business inquiry. When holding a meeting of the People’s Congress of a county (City) council, township (town) or city, the person in charge of the relevant business shall be invited to make a statement in the presence of the person in charge of that head or unit, as per the first item of the preceding article. The so-called “power of inquiry” means that when the county council meets regularly, the county chief shall present a policy report, and the heads of all units at all levels of the county government and the heads of the respective subordinate organs shall each have the responsibility to report on the business in charge, and county councilors have the right to ask questions. “Ready for questions” refers to waiting for questions. For example, most of the questions are for county heads, but deputy county heads or department heads may also be called, so they wait in their seats for questions, or sit in Parliament all day without being asked to ask questions. In the course of the inquiry, county councilors and township representatives may, in accordance with the law, raise objections to the governance of the county government and township public offices and question the budgets and final accounts of the county government and township public offices. The head of the county, the mayor of the town, and the person in charge or the person in charge of other relevant government agencies who accepts the inquiry may simply state the reasons based on facts. However, some members of Parliament and representatives of the town are unable

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to control their emotions, and they lash out at the table, or use props to demonstrate impassioned feelings. Some even stage their own performances to prevent officials from answering questions, which is ironic. This has also led some officials to regard the preparation of county councils and county town councils as a daunting task. There are as many as 13 procedures to go through between the submission of a budget by the county government and the issuance of a new annual budget by the government. In the course of this deliberation—inquiry—preparation of the inquiry, both the county chief and the directors of each branch attend the meeting and report to the parliament on the preparation of the budget; there are also special reports or explanations provided by the heads of the relevant units, as well as inquiries by county councilors and group reviews by members of the committees of the county councils. Usually, only the county government and the county council will have a number of interactions, and eventually the two sides will have to accept a “point.” In fact, it’s more about finding the common denominator between the government and the people.

Resolution and Reconsideration The county and city councils and the township and Town People’s Congresses shall have the power to make resolutions on paragraphs 1 to 6 and 10 of article 36,2 and paragraphs 1 to 6 and 10 of article 37 of the local system law3 ; however, if the county, city, or township government office considers that the above-mentioned resolution is difficult to implement, it shall, within 30 days after the resolution is sent to the county government or township office, send the reasons to the county council and the Township People’s Congress for reconsideration. If it is difficult to implement a resolution on matters proposed by a county councilor or a township deputy or a resolution on accepting a people’s petition, the county, city, or township government office shall state the reasons and write to the county council or township deputy. In accordance with the local system law, the county council and the Township People’s Congress shall make a resolution within 15 days of the service of a proposal for a review of the transfer of the county government or township office directly under the competent administrative authorities. In the case of an adjournment, an interim meeting shall be convened within seven days and a resolution shall be made within three days of the meeting. The original resolution shall be invalidated if the overhearing motion has not been resolved within the time limit. If two-thirds of the members or representatives present at the meeting maintain the original resolution, the county government or township office shall accept the resolution immediately. If the original resolution on the budget proposal of a county or township is invalid, the county council or the Township People’s Congress shall re-enact the resolution on the original proposal of the county government or township public office and shall not re-enact the same resolution; no further motions shall be filed by the executive branch.

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If the review of the county and township general budgets has not been completed within three months after the year beginning, and the county governments and township governments have not completed the review of the original general budgets, they must apply to the Competent interior authorities and the county government to invite the relevant organs for consultation and decide the same within one month; if the decision is not made within the time limit, the consultation organ shall make the decision directly. When the general budget of a county or township is reviewed, the original resolution shall be maintained. When the resolution is renewed in accordance with paragraph 5 of the preceding article, if the resolution of the annual income or annual expenditure violates the relevant laws, regulations based on legal authorization or exceeds the limits of authority, or if there is deletion of funds necessary for the maintenance of government administration, and the funds to be borne as per law and the continuing funds of a fixed amount of the previous year has caused difficulties, the provisions of the preceding paragraph shall be applied. The “motion for review” to uphold the original judgment4 The Nantou Rural People’s Congress is not satisfied that the public office has not been able to increase resources and reduce expenditure. The total budget for 2016 has borrowed as much as 17 million yuan and will regularly cut the budget for next year by 13.279 million yuan. The funds for small-scale projects in various villages have been reduced to only 1,000 yuan. The Guoxing Township Public Office on December 9 expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed reply, and the Township Congress convened an interim meeting in which 11 representatives still voted 9 to uphold the original resolution, calling the township head Qiu Pu Sheng Pain representative unreasonable and citing abuse of power. Last month, the Guoxing People’s Congress held a regular meeting to review the overall budget for next year, slashing the funds for small-scale projects in the villages of the public office, for delayed meals for rural government business contacts, expenses for staff cultural and recreational activities, and cleaning teams. In the second reserve fund, a total of $13,279,000 was allocated for minor works projects involving 13 villages in the entire township. The original provision of $11 million was reduced to only $1,000. The township office considered this a hindrance to the implementation of township government and moved a motion for review to the Council. The chairman, Mr Peng Guozhen, delivered a speech at the meeting yesterday, lambasting Qiu Pusheng for his role in overseeing the office of the town councilor, Lin Fufeng, who had painstakingly patched up the financial shortfall, and raising the debt by a further $17 million the next year. The assembly then proceeded to vote by secret ballot. Of 11 representatives present, 9 votes went in favor of maintaining the original resolution, and 2 votes against, thus failing to overturn the resolution. Peng Guozhen immediately banged the gavel to declare the meeting adjourned. Qiu Pu was angry and criticized the representative for abusing his power. He also accused some of the representatives of demanding higher funds for minor works projects. Vice-chairman Luo Zhibin stressed that no such thing had happened, The representative only deletes small project funds. In the future, if necessary, the Office may submit additional budgets at any time. However, Qiu Pusheng believes that it would be a violation of the budget law, and that the public will not take the lead in breaking the law; it was for the villagers to judge.

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2 Types of Relations Between the Town Government and the Local Council in Nantou County 2.1 Cooperative Government-Association Relationship The “cooperative government-association relationship” refers to the harmonious relationship between the county government and (a) the county council, (b) the township public office, and (c) the Township People’s Congress. Generally, a cooperative government-association relationship helps in creating a more harmonious external environment for the local government’s administration. The government (public office) can administer according to its own plan and have corresponding funds to support it. At the same time, the cooperation funds of county councils, Township People’s Congresses, and representatives of public opinion can be guaranteed, and county councilors and Township People’s representatives can use the cooperation funds to serve the people within the legal framework. This could also increase its influence in its own constituencies, and even some of its elected representatives could profit from it. In the history of Nantou County’s autonomy, the county magistrate spent most of his time as a member of the Kuomintang, and the chairman of the county council was also a member of the Kuomintang. This made the relationship between the county Nantou County Government and the county council harmonious; all the 22 counties and cities on the island displayed rare cooperation-based government relations. In 2014, He Shengfeng, the Speaker of the KMT in Nantou County, said when he was sworn in, “It is a fine tradition for Nantou to have a harmonious government-council relationship. We hope that in the next four years, the relationship between the Nantou County Government and the Parliament will be one of mutual respect, coordination, and cooperation, as well as a sound power relationship between the supervisors and the supervisees. When the deputies are the mouthpiece of the people, the county magistrate and the administrative staff should not misunderstand or distort the opinions of the people as a way of exerting pressure. We hope that under a reasonable democratic system of checks and balances, we can create a win–win situation in which ‘the Parliament has power,’ ‘the county government has the ability,’ and ‘the people are blessed.’”5 The mayor of Puli and the chairman of the Town People’s Congress are mostly Kuomintang members, and the relationship between the government and the Congress tends to be cooperative. Chairman Cai Wenzhong of the Puli Town People’s Congress said that he being a representative of the town people for more than 10 years was quite aware of the financial difficulties of the town, that so-called smart women cannot make bricks without straw, and that even if the rulers have great ideals and aspirations, financial constraints can often lead to a dilemma. There is a saying that, “if there is no rice one must have cake bran,” that is, no matter the financial difficulties of the rulers, there must be ways to raise funds. Cai Wenzhong deeply agreed. Later, the association and the public office pooled their wisdom, turned passivity into initiative, actively explored financial resources, and strove for funds

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to build Puli for the benefit of the villagers. This is possible only if the relationship between the government and the council is cooperative; the government will then run smoothly, and people will be more satisfied with the government and the council (the town people’s Congress).

2.2 Confrontation-Oriented Government-Association Relationship If the relationship between the county government and the county council is antagonistic, a state of zero-sum game exists because of different political parties having different interests. In the history of Nantou County, harmonious relations between the government and the society were the main trend, but there were some antagonistic elements as well. As in the case of Peng baixian, Nantou County’s 13th county magistrate, when relations between the government and the legislature deteriorated for a variety of reasons leading to a lack of trust between the government and the legislature. Peng baixian, a county magistrate who was bent on reforming administrative methods and improving administrative efficiency, was criticized by civil servants of the county government for his poor handling of relations with the parliament. Not only did the speed of official documents of the county government become “snail’s pace” with documents being shuffled around, even the “921 earthquake” victims started complaining, and the Commission’s administrative efficiency was drastically reduced. In the end, Peng was sentenced to 20 years in prison for profiteering, breach of duty, embezzlement, and other crimes, and was first detained for 61 days by prosecutor Xu Songkui. “I didn’t take any money. I was confident that my life would be clean. I was falsely accused of embezzling 2 billion yuan. Is it necessary for politics to be like this?” asked Peng, who was scarred by “political struggle.”6 A “No arguments” inquiry7 According to the time fixed by the parliament, every morning three county councilors questioned the head of Peng County, but according to the instruction of the chairman, they were all “county councilors sent by the county magistrate” to ask a joint question for five days, a joint seven-day question-and-answer session. In this way, the inquiry of the “County Magistrate faction” became a moment of advocacy and refutation of the government decree, while the inquiry of the “Speaker faction” became the most embarrassing moment for the county magistrate, which could be said to have no dignity. Peng baixian, County Magistrate, described the parliamentary meeting as “Critical” and “Humiliating” for the General Assembly. For example, Senator Zeng Chunfang asked Peng baixian, “Do you know what you are called outside?” All I heard was, “Your Majesty!”! Boom-a-half! Lord Peng! Peng Qingliu! A tyrant! Beggar Peng! Which of these titles do you like best?” Speaker Zheng Wen-tong went on bluntly: “I do not believe you cannot strongly respond to this, or with such an attitude, you cannot answer; under this situation, I do not believe that there can be any harmony between the parliament and the county government.” In the joint inquiry, the speaker, often presiding over the proceedings, with the county councilors after the inquiry, did not allow the county magistrate to reply. For example, at the first regular session of the 14th County Council, the county magistrate repeatedly raised

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the issue of personnel costs of the county magistrate’s office and the information centers in Zhushan and Puli. Many county councilors criticized the “Hire some contract staff from the fat, expand power manning quota.” For Peng, the county council at the time was a forum for rumors.

2.3 Regular Government-Association Relationship If the relationship between the county government and the county council is relatively stable, with no major conflicts, there are no special problems encountered. This type of government-government relationship should be in the majority in the 22 counties and 358 townships. In normal government-association relationship, the county council performs its duties according to law, deliberates on the proposals, budgets, and final accounts of the county government, and questions the county magistrate’s policy report. The county government shall, in accordance with the law, provide the relevant materials to the county council and prepare for consultation according to the requirements of the county council. The political party conflict, factional struggle, and interest dispute between the government and the assembly are not obvious, or a balance is maintained between them according to the existing “inertia.” For the more sensitive county government finances, the county council has discretion over the budget, but only over the final accounts. Therefore, as long as the county government has successfully completed the budget process, it can evade the supervision of county council in the final accounts. Since County Councils do not have full financial review authority, county governments can easily cope with county councils’ demands for cuts or benefit-sharing by simply expanding their budgets as much as possible. However, regarding the final accounts part, it falls under the scope of the Audit Department’s power and responsibility. Therefore, a “wise” magistrate can maintain balance in the relationship between the government and the local council in various ways although this balance may not last forever. After a new round of “Local elections” has produced new public officials, this balance will change not only with the changes in the political party color of the heads of the local government, representatives of public opinion, and the chairmen and vice-chairmen, but also with the different factions within the political party, the government or the parliamentary organization. It will also change with the distribution of interests among different interest groups and government associations. Thus, the relationship between the government and the local council is not an unchanging layer. In the same administrative region, the types of government-society relations in different periods are not necessarily the same, and in different administrative regions, the types of government-society relations in the same period are also different.

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3 Factors Affecting the Relationship Between the Government and the Local Council of Nantou County 3.1 Political Parties Since the establishment of the Nantou County Council in 1951, the Nantou County Government has enjoyed close cooperation with the county council, with serious confrontations and “peaceful coexistence.” Since the members of the 12th DPP caucus became members of Parliament, the membership of deputies in the county councils began to be diversified. From the original Kuomintang and the non-party membership, it has expanded to the Kuomintang, the non-party membership, the Democratic Progressive Party, as well as the founding party and the pro-democracy party. Among them, the Democratic Progressive Party caucus has developed relatively fast in the parliament, with the number of seats second only to that of the Kuomintang (with the exception of the nonparty membership) (Table 1). When the DPP took over the Nantou County Council, it quickly grew from 5.40 to 21.62% in 2018, with 24.32% of seats in the 18th Parliament. According to the communique issued by the Nantou County Council, the KMT’s county magistrate led government is often embarrassed in parliament because of its political differences with the KMT. Chen Zhengsheng, deputy county magistrate of Nantou County, talks about the relationship between the government and the local council: “In the Nantou County Council, both the KMT and the non-party MPs are very supportive of Lin Mingzhen, and now it is the nine DPP MPs who are ideologically motivated to distort and smear the Nantou County Government in an all-out way. It is unwise for the DPP to deliberately create conflicts for the benefit of political parties because county administration is a matter for all the people of Nantou County, and it is not for the benefit of one political party. We also hope that the green camp people will be able to supervise the questioning in parliament and not oppose it for the sake of the development of Nantou.” How can the DPP caucus have such a great influence on Nantou County? Chen Zhengsheng believes, “The DPP uses the administrative power of the competent executive authorities government and constantly throws resources at the local level.” “It is not normal for ‘cabinet’ officials to go to places frequently and attend election-related events. It is unwise for them to hold events and promote them according to the will of the political parties”8 .

3.2 Factional Factors In the local governance of Taiwan Area, the local cliques have always influenced the relations between the government and the assembly. Factions are personal relationships based on social networks, known locally as “connections.”. Faction formation is not intended to be a matter of public policy or ideology, but rather to mobilize the electorate in the service of elections. To maintain and strengthen the relationship

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Table 1 Distribution of members in the Nantou County Council Sectors

Composition of members’ party membership

1

The KMT has 0 seats, 0% 30 Non-party seats, 100%

2

The KMT has 0 seats, 0% 32 non-party seats, 100%

3

The KMT has 6 seats, 17.14%

29 non-party seats, 82.86%

4

The KMT has 6 seats, 16.22%

31 non-party seats, 83.78%

5

The KMT has 29 seats, 80.56%

7 non-party seats, 19.44%

6

The KMT has 33 seats, 86.84%

5 non-party seats, 13.16%

7

The KMT has 30 seats, 78.95%

8 non-party seats, 21.05%

8

The KMT has 27 seats, 72.97%

10 non-party seats, 27.03%

9

The KMT has 28 seats, 75.68%

9 non-party seats, 24.32%

10

The KMT has 29 seats, 76.32%

9 non-party seats, 23.68%

11

The KMT has 26 seats, 70.27%

11 non-party seats, 29.73%

12

The KMT has 23 seats, 62.22%

12 Nonparty seats, 32.43%

DPP 2 seats 5.40%

13

The KMT has 20 seats 54.05%

13 non-party seats, 35.14%

DPP 4 seats 10.81%

14

The KMT has 20 seats, 4.05%

12 non-party seats 32.43%

DPP 4 seats, 10.81%

2.70%

15

The KMT has 12 seats, 32.43%

16 non-party seats, 43.24%

DPP 6 seats, 16.22%

PFP 3 seats, 0.08%

16

The KMT has 9 seats, 24.32%

19 non-party seats, 51.35%

DPP 7 seats, 18.92%

PFP 2 seats, 5.41%

17

The KMT has 15 seats, 40.54%

17 non-party seats, 45.95%

DPP 5 seats, 13.51%

18

The KMT has 17 seats, 45.95%

10 non-party seats, 27.03%

DPP 9 seats, 24.32%

19

The KMT has 21 seats, 56.76%

8 non-party seats, 21.62%

DPP 8 seats, 21.62%

with the voters, these factions serve the voters as much as possible on the basis of their personal relationships, so that the voters can “feel” and “recognize” them. As a result, factions often resort to activities involving weddings and funerals, community activities, and actively engage with the local population. Voter service has become an important means for factions to run their places and win votes. In Taiwan, the local factions are divided into two levels: the township level, and the county level. Of the more than 300 townships in Taiwan, almost every township

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has at least two factions, one representing the “Lobby faction” of the administrative system and the other representing the “Peasant Association faction” of the economic system (mainly the agricultural economy); the factions at the township level are not subordinate to the factions at the county or city level, but are allies at the grassroots level, and they maintain their alliance with each other through patronage. The township factions are closer to the grassroots, but they do not represent lower status. They maintain their alliance with each other based on the promises of the county and city factions. In other words, if someone has provided better conditions, it is easy to join the competition with the county-level factions and obtain the cooperation of the township-level factions.9 As for the county magistrate, until Peng baixian10 was elected, the list of county magistrates of Nantou was held by KMT members. Since there are many local factions at the township level,11 and no strong local faction at the county level dominates the county government, the county government is mostly led by the Kuomintang. However, most of the county chiefs were “airborne troops,” and the Kuomintang had to win over local factions. This is especially true for Paterson, who is in a minority government. The Governor of Peng baixian County formed his own faction by forming a political alliance with DPP members of Parliament and providing factional interests or having personal relationships with other members of parliament. According to the analysis of the background data of the 14th Nantou County legislators, as far as the nature of political parties is concerned, of 37 county councilors, the KMT, with 20 seats, 54.1%; 12 seats for non-party membership, 32.4%; 4 seats for the DPP, 10.8%; the KMT has only 1 seat and 2.7% of the total. Among them, there are 6 former representatives, directors, or directors of peasant associations, of which only 2 are presidents and 4 are heads of counties. There was 1 representative of Nantou Credit Cooperative, who was sent by the speaker. There were 15 representatives of town and township citizens, 10 of whom were appointed by the Speaker of the house. The majority of the town and township representatives supported the speaker. There are 3 elders who have served as township mayors (2 of them have also served as township citizens’ representatives). As a result, there are nearly 27 county councilors with factional backgrounds, a proportion of more than 70%.12 Therefore, during the reign of the governor of Peng baixian County, regardless of the strength of the Democratic Progressive Party group in the parliament or the strength of Peng baixian’s own faction, they could not compete with the faction of the speaker led by Zheng Wentong.13 In regular meetings, temporary meetings, Peng baixian County magistrate not only repeated members’ verbal provocations, but also led to a significant cut in the county government budget. In the absence of local financial resources, Peng baixian administration was unable to implement any of the plans due to the financial difficulties. Presently, the influence of factions in the government assembly is relatively weak, especially within the Kuomintang, and the influence of political parties is greatly strengthened. As Chen Zhengsheng, deputy county magistrate of Nantou County, put it, “In Nantou County, the old blue camps and the old blue camps are co-operating with each other.”14

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3.3 Interest Factor Although the tasks of county councilors include the examination of parliamentary proposals, questioning the county government to supervise the municipal administration, studying and making recommendations on governance, examining the county government budget proposals, and supervising the implementation of public opinions by the county government, for individual county councilors, the most important thing is to serve the constituency through the parliament for the benefit of the people. Only when county councilors provide continuous services to their constituencies can they be recognized and supported by voters. Therefore, even though there are factions within the county council, the speaker and members display a “united front” based on shared economic interests. For example, during Peng baixian15 was Nantou County Governor, the self-proclaimed clean flow, effective, and local factions drew a line and the implementation of a series of policies (such as the abolition of county councilors with funds, etc.) was unanimously opposed by the county council. In Taiwan, it costs about NT $1,500 to participate in an election for county councilors. County councilors spend NT $5 million or more on renting office space and hiring service teams during their term in office; the salary for a four-year term is about T $5 m. This kind of “public servant” cannot make ends meet, but there are still many people competing for election. In addition to being the real “voice of the people” to speak out for their welfare, a larger proportion of county councilors contest for a huge amount of “matching funds.” For example, some schools take “please money” from a member to fund their library, fix elevators, air-conditioning equipment, etc. They are also happy to put up monuments on the campus in various forms, such as in school events and parent-teacher conferences, to thank Senator so-and-so in the form of a running lantern on an LED notice board in front of the school. Through such “cooperation,” county councilors not only get votes, but also gain some economic benefits.16 County councilors and county chairmen have also been jailed for such practices. Former Speaker of the Nantou County Council, Zheng Wentong, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined 30 million NT dollars for allegedly soliciting kickbacks for various county council projects; the illegal gains of NT $19.643,000 are to be recovered in full and returned to the county council.17 Small-scale project tie-ins18 Since the relevant regulations are vague, the village minor works were privately handed over to the election piles for construction without going through the open procedures of bargaining or contracting out, to transfer the benefits, give back to the political support of the “pillar boys.” For those who depend on political causes for their livelihood, the use of various voter services provided by the minor works fund amounts to the privatization of public resources into private property that can be exchanged with the public for political support .This “generosity of the people” not only does not have to bear any cost, but also can help to “serve the voters, help in the construction of government” reputation, and most importantly, work as a guarantee of voter support.

Since Peng baixian, County Governor, canceled the county council cooperation funds, resulting in tension with the government, the county government budget was

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slashed. To maintain a good relationship between the government and the prefectural council, the later magistrate, as well as the mayors of the other 21 prefectures and cities, often hid the cooperation funds, both to avoid the pressure of public opinion and to meet the needs of the county councilors. To avoid county councilors from the “Tied in” or embezzling with matching funds, the county government, in the preparation of the budget, often limits the use of such funds. For instance, if it is listed under “Capital Men,” the fund use is limited to construction; or if it is listed under “Regular Men,” the fund is limited to subsidies for residential areas, community activities, and so on. “Hidden” matching funds In the early years, most of the matching funds were listed in “Small-scale and sporadic projects” under the second reserve budget of the county and city governments; local governments are now willing to cooperate with the “whole into zero” hidden money, which is becoming more sophisticated. Chen Jinji, a former Yunlin County Finance Minister, who now teaches at the CITIC University of Finance, said that some county and city governments had “broken up” the budget for matching funds; for example, although the Civil Affairs Bureau, Social Affairs Bureau, Education Bureau, Culture Bureau, etc., exist, there are still coordinating units in Yunlin County. For example, the construction bureau collects and controls the matching fund projects. Therefore, even if it hide, the government will still know what goes on. A New Taipei City lawmaker said that it would be “thoughtful” to count the remaining quotas for lawmakers. “We will ask directly [in the civil service], ‘how much is left?’”

Notes 1.

2.

Such as: Primary and secondary schools to improve the teaching environment and equipment project, public sports facilities and equipment, residential areas and public facilities green landscaping project, simple water facilities, construction of roads, bridges, irrigation and drainage works, water well works and their ancillary facilities, street lighting facilities, traffic signs, signs (lines), sightseeing guides and direction works, water and soil conservation facilities and water storage tanks, the construction and equipment of the public hall, the facilities of the office, the village (Lane-RRB- office, Assembly Hall and the community activity center, the cultural construction projects, the library and the equipment of the cultural performance, to cooperate with the Nantou County Government in promoting group equipment such as public security, fire safety, environmental protection, and health care, as well as agricultural related equipment such as agricultural associations, agricultural cooperative and production and marketing classes, and other facilities or equipment approved by the county government. The county council decides on the regulations of the county (City), on the budget of the county (City), on the special tax, temporary tax and additional tax, and on the disposition of the property of the county (City), to decide on the regulations on the organizational self-government of the county (City) government, the regulations on the organizational self-government of the affiliated institution, the matters proposed by the county (City) government, and other functions and powers conferred by law or higher regulations.

142 3.

4.

5.

6. 7. 8.

9. 10.

11.

12. 13. 14.

15.

16.

17. 18.

6 The Relationship Between the County Councils and Government The county or town public office shall decide on the statutes of the township (town or city), on the budget of the township (town or city), on the provisional taxation of the township (town or city), and on the disposition of the property of the township (town or city), to decide on the regulations on the organizational self-government of township (town, City) public offices and the regulations on the organizational self-government of the affiliated institution, to decide on the matters proposed by township (town, City) public offices and other functions and powers conferred by law or superior regulations and rules. Liao Zhaoxiang: the country’s family name Township Congress slashed the budget, the public approved the abuse of power, the https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/newspapers/201512 10000660-260107, China Times, 10 December 2015. Hongde: he shengfeng, speaker of the Nantou County Council, and Pan Yichuan, speaker of the 18th legislature, have been sworn in and re-elected. news.tnn.tw/news.html?C=1&ID=89682, 25 December 2014. You Changshan: the political dark side of shock, vision, September 2003, https://www.gvm. com.tw/article.html?id=8829. Fu Zhengyan, a professor of political science at the Tokai University, 72 (April 2000). Lin Gu Long: Chen Zheng Sheng analysis of the south vote: blue cautious optimism, green action big, http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1049/2/6/8/104926819.html?coluid=93&kindid= 5670&docid=104926819, 30 December 2017. Chen Ming-tong, factional politics and political change in Taiwan, Taipei: Yuedan, 1995, p. 254. In 1997, because Peng Baixian was not nominated by the DPP for Nantou County magistrate, he withdrew from the DPP election for Nantou County Magistrate, and defeated the KMT nomination of Xu Huiyou and the DPP nomination of Lin Zongnan; In 1998, Peng Baixian was a convenor of new national line. According to Chen Ming-tong’s research report, Nantou County has Li Faction (Li Guozhen), Hong faction (Hong Qiaorong, Jian Qingzhang), Chen faction (Chen Wan, Lin Yichuan) and non-party and DPP forces (Chen Qiji, Lin Zongnan) and so on. From “Nantou County: interlocking factional parties, ongoing external strife,” www.china.com.cn/chinese/zhuanti/ 2004twldr/446833.htm. Fu Zhengyan, a professor of political science at the Tokai University, 40 April 2000. Zheng served three terms as speaker of the Nantou County Parliament and as President of the Puli Agricultural Association. Lin Gu Long: Chen Zheng Sheng analysis of the south vote: blue cautious optimism, green action big, http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1049/2/6/8/104926819.html?coluid=93&kindid= 5670&docid=104926819, 30 December 2017. Peng Baixian, political outlook from non-party to the new state line, 20 December 1997– 20 December 2001, the 13th county magistrate of Nantou County, Co-operative Treasury Staff, Ministry of Finance Finance Finance Group researcher, associate professor, Competent legislative authorities. Guan Wuyuan: eating, drinking, hiding money, tying up stakes! “All Taiwanese lawmakers cooperate with fund investigation” to reveal 7 ways to play the game! http://bw.businessw eekly.com.tw/event/2018/councilormoney/article-2.html. Nantou County’s former Speaker, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption. http://www.huaxia.com/xw/tw/2008/00810126.html. Zhao Yongmao, the relationship between local political ecology and local administration, taipei: seminar on the development of local politics and administration after the amendment of the Constitution, sponsored by the Public Administration Department, Taiwan Provincial Government, 2 May 1998.

Chapter 7

The “One Whip” in Local Governance

According to the principle of “separation of powers” devised by Mr. Sun Yat-sen, the power of personnel should be vested in the Examination Board. During the period of martial law in Taiwan,1 to strengthen the competent executive authoritiesized rule, according to the “Temporary Provisions Effective during the Period of Communist Rebellion,” the “Directorate-General of Personnel Administration” was set up under the “Competent executive authorities,” and a “One whip” system was established to be responsible for personnel administration, so as to not to allow personnel administration affect political power. In particular, the organs involved in accounting, personnel, political conduct, and police operations come under the special law,2 and the mechanism is under the exclusive control of the Relevant competent executive authorities ministries and declared as “independent organs (institutions)” to the outside world. The heads of these four types of organs shall not be appointed or removed by the executive heads of local governments. As a result, the “One whip” system continues as the main axis of the political relationship between the upper and lower levels, and in the parallel political relations between colleagues. Unlike the three departments of personnel, planning, and administration, which extend from top to bottom to township public offices, the system of police organs extends to county and city governments, and police substations are the agencies of higher police organs. Therefore, the function of “personnel, plan and style of administration” and its influence on the local government is even greater. This chapter focuses on the three systems of personnel, accounting, and government style and their relationship with local governance.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_7

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1 The Connotation of “One Whip” System 1.1 Establishing the “One Whip” Articles 55 and 56 of the law on local systems stipulate that “the heads of the first-level units or of the first-level organs to which they belong shall be appointed or removed by the county (City) governors, in accordance with the law on exclusive personnel administration, except for the heads or heads of the controller, personnel, police and political conduct.” Local heads of government can choose their own administrative officers, such as like-minded people, according to their own administrative needs, to help them carry out their plans and serve the people. The heads of the district offices, finance offices, tourism offices, agriculture offices, public works offices, and information and administration offices in Nantou County are elected by County Governors. However, “Who will be,” “When,” and “When to leave” are decided by the county magistrate alone. In a sense, this kind of system arrangement has the strong flavor of “political spoils.” For example, nine months after the 13th Nantou County Governor, Peng baixian, took office, he began to transfer first-level supervisors, and among his confidential supervisors, he chose Xiao Yuzhen and Chen Wanzhen, who had assisted him in the election of the County Governor, among the 13 first-level supervisors; 4 of the remaining 10 were women, after accounting for accounting, personnel, and politics.3 The sole authority of a local executive4 In addition to the county magistrate sitting in executive power (head system), rich administrative resources also exist. In fact, the power to appoint personnel as temporary contract staff in various units of a county and city governments or temporary teachers in primary and secondary schools within a county depends on the mayor of the county or city, and the promotion and transfer of supervisors at all levels of county and city governments are also decided by the mayor of the county or city; therefore, those who are interested in these posts will often ask members to Lobby. They hope that through members’ relations, they will be given priority in obtaining employment or transfer opportunities. As a result, the above-mentioned vacancies were used by the county and municipal mayors as a vehicle of interest to provide positions to the members of parliament who requested them in exchange for their political support, thereby building an alliance of political relations.

However, by special law, the directors and directors of personnel, comptroller’s office, Civil Service Ethics and police organs are appointed and removed by the competent executive authorities such as the general personnel administration office, the General Accounting Office, the Independent Commission against Corruption in the Legal department and the Competent executive authorities. The public servants and the heads of their organs within the “One whip” shall be appointed, removed, examined, and supervised by the officials of the Competent executive authorities With the help of Unified Command, control and coordination of personnel management system is implemented between the Competent executive authorities and the local executive head of checks and balances.

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1.2 The Function of “One Whip” For the organizational structure of the Nantou County Government, personnel, accounting, and government style are an important part of the county government. The three departments are responsible for the content and all are involved in the core work of county government operations. The personnel office has four divisions: Planning Division, Appointment and Removal Division, Assessment and Training Division, and Retirement Division. Among them, the Human Resources Planning Division is mainly responsible for personnel management, contract staff, temporary staff, manpower utilization, work simplification, enhancement of personnel data management information system assessment guidance, training, and promotion of computerized operations; Appointment and Removal Branch is mainly responsible for personnel organization, appointment and removal transfer, examination distribution, grade audit, and manpower planning. The Examination and Training Division is mainly responsible for personnel training and training, performance appraisal, rewards and punishments, overseas, duty management, and service. The Retirement Division is mainly responsible for treatment, welfare, leisure and cultural activities, retirement pension, personnel data informatization, public insurance, health insurance, and so on. The Office of the Comptroller’s office consists of six sections, namely, the Office of the Year Planner, the Office of Audit, the Office of Final Accounts, the Office of Statistics, the Office of Accounting Inspection, and the Office of the Comptroller’s Affairs. Among them, the department is mainly responsible for the County General Budget and Supplementary Budget Review and compilation, the county affiliated units budget review and compilation, distribution budget review and approval, and the budget compilation of the township and municipal public office. The audit division is mainly responsible for the local government accounting units, the public production fund, the public welfare lottery surplus distribution fund, the Resources Development Fund, the Disabled Employment Fund, the various agency funds and other expenditures, Visa Bill, the original certificate examination, the accounting document preparation, the accounting book registration, the Accounting Report preparation, the accounting document submission examination, the accounting document arrangement, the custody, the final accounts compilation examination, and other related accounting affairs. The government procures the case to inspect, inspects the standard and so on, as well as coordinates with the higher level government examination matter. The final accounts section shall be mainly responsible for compiling the final accounts of the county, the subsidiary units, the local education development fund, the township (Town) and municipal public office and the subsidiary units. The annual output budget shall be retained for approval to compile general accounting reports, compile accounting reports of local education development funds, and examine accounting reports and final accounts of affiliated schools (except primary schools), affiliated units, and township (Town) municipal public institutions, to study and improve the accounting system, supervise the accounting affairs of the local government organs, schools, township (town), and municipal public offices, and also serve

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as the accounting business of the county’s livestock Disease Prevention and Treatment Institute. It also examines the transaction processing of accounting matters such as the municipal land rezoning fund and the average land ownership fund, as well as the general business of the Accounting Office. The Statistics section is mainly responsible for official statistics and survey statistics. The division of accounting inspection is mainly responsible for public works spot check (inspection), administrative law advocacy, administrative reform proposals, public officials property declaration, and other matters. The division is mainly responsible for the prevention, detection, and handling of corruption cases. The administrative section is mainly responsible for matters such as the conduct of government affairs, the supervision of conduct of government affairs, the drafting of conduct laws, the maintenance of official secrets, the prevention of damage, and the report of the Independent Commission against Corruption. The property declaration division is mainly responsible for receiving property declarations, handling cases of violation of the Conflict of Interest Avoidance Act, enforcing the ethical norms of civil servants’ integrity, upholding the model of integrity, and conducting fact-finding surveys on political conduct. However, due to its own work scope and professional level, there are some overlaps and differences with the Procuratorate, so in some counties and cities, “dereliction of duty” is a problem. Taipei municipal office reduced to “Lookout Office”?5 Has the Taipei City Government become the “Lookout” for corrupt officials in the city? According to Taipei City Councilor, Chen Zhengzhong, 49 civil servants were prosecuted for “Corruption and malfeasance” in 18 cases during the entire year of 2015 after mayor Ke Wenzhe took office, and a total of 94 persons were administratively punished in 58 cases. It is worth noting that police officers are the most likely to break the law, with 53% of the civil servants involved in corruption cases coming from police stations, including offenses such as accepting bribes, inserting shares into betting companies for profit, and shielding those who engage in profiteering gambling. However, Chen Zhengzhong understood that the cases were all reported by the public; He criticized the municipal office of style and the office of indolence, which, he said, was reduced to municipal staff crime, “Lookout.” After Chen Zhengzhong reviewed the data, and on further understanding the details, he went so far as to file a case for the public after they had reported the case. The internal affairs office passively accepted the case and did not take any initiative to investimen and file the case. The internal affairs office also admitted at the scene of the Parliament that most of them were reported by the public. Chen believed that the municipal office of internal affairs and the office of internal affairs would not have been unaware of these things, but the staff of the Office of Internal Affairs of the Police Department, the Health Bureau, and the Environmental Protection Bureau showed a performance appraisal of A the previous year, etc. Therefore, the failure and neglect to take the initiative to investimen is all the more apparent, and the department of political conduct has been reduced to a “Lookout office.”

1.3 The Controversy Over “One Whip” From the top-level design, although the “One whip” system focuses on the consideration of professionalism of civil servants and the unified management of their

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superiors, it is to some extent helpful in the selection of officials, the maintenance of official precepts, and the improvement of efficiency, however, the authority and responsibility of appointing and removing, transferring, examining, rewarding, and punishing the staff in a whip system are deprived, and thus the dual subordination and dual command and supervision system are deprived. Since the provincial government was weakened, the “Local System Law” was implemented, the power of the elected heads of local governments has continuously expanded, and the sense of local autonomy has greatly increased; for example, county (City) governors have also greatly expanded the use of human rights by deputy heads, confidential personnel, and heads of first-level units. In addition to the “One whip” system, heads of firstlevel units and heads of first-level organs to which they belong have been appointed. One half of the total is for administrative positions, but the county (City) chiefs still demand that all appointments be changed to administrative personnel in accordance with the method of appointment of municipalities directly under the competent administrative authorities. The head of the local government is therefore critical of the appointment and removal of such persons. Although the local government on the island and scholars who have studied the “One whip” heap praise and criticism, their views are generally divided. Some believe that the system can prevent the head of the local government from doing as he pleases, while some believe that the system seriously hinders the practice of local self-government. From the perspective of organization right, “One whip” system violates the organization design principle of group autonomy. The core value of local self-government groups lies in “organizational autonomy, legislative autonomy, and financial autonomy,” while local elected leaders have no autonomy in personnel, accounting, police, and government style.6 On the “One whip” system of civil servants’ performance appraisal, appointment, and removal, the details are unclear. The relatively independent “One whip” system formed in the local government not only cut the development of the local government, but also destroyed the overall governance of local organizations. In many local governments’ governance practice, often the staff unit resists7 (locally calls it “the boycott”) the business unit situation. However, the staff unit involved is mostly personnel, the controller, and the department of Civil Service Ethics and so on.

2 The Superior-Subordinate Relationship in the “One Whip” System 2.1 Intergovernmental Relations in “One Whip” Due to the particularity of the three institutions of personnel, plan, and government style in the “One whip,” the local government is managed by the higher authorities, and in its daily work, the staff in the “One whip” system need to deal more with locally

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elected leaders. Therefore, the communication between the local government and the “One whip” personnel becomes the “Intergovernmental relationship” between the local government and the higher-level government. Personnel, chief planner, Civil Service Ethics, and police are the core organs of local government, and the head of each organ has a significant influence on the implementation of the local Executive Head’s governance. Long-term cooperation, and mutual familiarity will gradually lead to a tacit understanding of the work. However, “the whip” system for the head of the organs, at any time, can lead to a transfer. For example, You Xikun, then Governor of Yilan and Taipei County, resisted the appointment of an official-appointed police chief because he was not satisfied with the replacement of the police chief without his consent. In 2017, after Taipei’s police chief was suddenly replaced, when Taipei’s mayor, Ke Wenzhe, went to the city council to give a policy address, several KMT members called for a boycott of the new chief, Chen Jiachang, taking office. Members Chen Yongde, Chen Yizhou, and others even said they would not allow Chen Jiachang to enter the Council for consultation.8 My House, my rules. The chief of police listens to me!9 As early as December 1989, the then “Taiwan Provincial Government” arranged for Xie Yindang, chief of the Taipei Criminal Police, to become chief of the Yilan County Police. You Xikun, the DPP’s county magistrate, was not happy with the lack of notice. Xie’s party repeatedly sought to see the county chief but was refused. The Yilan County Government also wrote to the “Provincial government” to demand the dismissal of the personnel case on the grounds of violating the limits of local self-government. The post of county chief was temporarily filled by the deputy chief. Since then, Yilan County Police Department sends signed the official documents issued by the county government to Xie Yin’s party, but in the official documents issued by the county government, the name of head is that of the deputy director acting as police chief. As a last resort, Yu Chunyan, then “Taiwan Province Police Commissioner,” visited You Xikun twice to plead his case, and the “Provincial government” promised to inform the county and mayor before appointing a police commissioner in the future. In March 1990, You Xikun relented, and Xie did not “Officially take office” until more than three months into his tenure. So it is with the green camp, so it is with the blue camp. In 2006, New Taipei City was upgraded to New Taipei City. Taipei County magistrate Zhou Xiwei and local “Police commissioner” Hou Youyi had their own choice. Later, the “Police administration” announced that Zhanghua County Police Commissioner Lin Guodong would take over New Taipei City. Much dissatisfied, Zhou Xiwei refused to recognize Lin Guodong’s personnel orders, and also did not attend the handover ceremony. He not only sent deputy director Zhang Chuanzhong as Acting Director, but also did not let Lin Guodong participate in the county government security report. In addition, the county government has gone to the county police station to ask for the return of the police chief room key, not to let Lin Guodong in the county government-owned buildings in the office. On the county government website link to the county police, when it was found that the director is Lin Guodong, the county government asked for the removal of the page of the county police’s “Introduction to the Director.”

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After two months of struggling, Zhou Xiwei finally praised Lin Guodong’s performance as good, and said he would soon “really accept (actually grant him the official position),” and thus, the latter came out of the awkward role. It can be seen from this that the outcome of the game between the “Police administration” of the authorities and the county and city mayors is often a “Bully Puller,” after which the local chief accepts the new police chief, but also takes this as a way to establish rules for the new chief, in a way telling him, “My house, my rules, Chief of Police, my rules”!

2.2 “Dual Subjection” in “One Whip” According to the law, the civil servants in the “One whip” system are subordinate to both the superior personnel, the chief planner, Civil Service Ethics, Accounting and Statistics, and Civil Service Ethics of government, and the local executive branch. Therefore, this led to the formation of the so-called “Dual subordinate supervision” relationship. In general, the promotion and movement of civil servants and their department heads within the “One whip” system (within Taiwan, usually at the county level) is decided by the competent authorities at higher levels. With increasing awareness of the human rights of the elected local heads, they actively strive for the appointment and removal of the “One whip” organization heads or supervisors of human rights. Therefore, the competent authorities under each “One whip” will respect the opinions of the local chief administrative officer when assessing, promoting, transferring, and assigning personnel in the local personnel, accounting, and administrative departments; they may even be appointed or removed by the competent authorities at the next higher level with their prior consent. If the relationship between the local chief administrative officer and the personnel, the chief planner, and the government style is not good, in addition to the daily work being difficult to carry out, the local chief administrative officer will actively invite people to “Shut down”10 the competent authorities at their higher levels, deliberately transfer the person in charge of Personnel, Accounting and Statistics, and Civil Service Ethics, or even transfer them to faraway places (including outlying islands, such as Penghu, Kinmen, etc.). A former director-general of the party’s campaign headquarters recalled, “When I was campaigning for a candidate, I got a phone call from the head of the civil service ethics affairs investigation, threatening to investimen me. I was weak. I was afraid of him. Actually, he got the wrong guy. To put it bluntly, he kicked the plate. His investigation was supposed to be neutral, but how could he, as a team leader, do something so intimidating? I quietly told someone about it, and the team leader was transferred to Penghu ‘out of nowhere’. Then I heard he got back from Penghu and was transferred to Pingdong, but his family’s in Puli! His wife scolded him for tearing her home apart…”. The flowing “One whip”11 In general, the “One whip” system of staff will be transferred to a post every three years; sometimes they are in the same post for a maximum of six years. Of course, this institutional arrangement is to avoid “Improper cooperation” between the local executive head and the

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“One whip” staff. This “Normal” movement or mobility is also an opportunity for local executive heads to choose their own slower “Whiplash” staff. When a local executive meets a meticulous comptroller, they may be faced with two choices. One is to accept the person and respect the person. His strictness may have helped people in protecting themselves from breaking the law. Such a local executive head will be in accordance with the controller’s requirements, carefully prepared. The other is not to accept the person. They feel that the “harsh” attitude is as if the person is deliberately looking for trouble. To resolve this “trouble,” the local chief executive will, through his own relationship, ask the “Top” to help its operation, have the “Trouble” transferred. If the two are in conflict, or even incompatible, the controller (director) is naturally willing to leave this place. If there is a chance to transfer, an active transfer is best. It is difficult to resist the pressure exerted by the local executive head because of its strict management of the budget of the local executive head. If their requirements are not met or deliberately let through, it can become the legal responsibility of the controller. When such controllers are removed, they are often “inadvertently” moved to a backcountry. If his home is in Puli, but is arranged to Jiji Township or Lugu, the two places are far apart, a return home is very troublesome.

3 The Relationship of Equality in the “One Whip” System 3.1 “Convergence” in Sharp Distinctions As the chief of staff, the controller, the personnel, and the Civil Service Ethics should support the local executive head and supervise the local government’s administration. If a local government intends to hold New Year celebration activities, in addition to having the budget for the current year, it will also need a specific business unit to sign a statement stating the source of funding for the plan, the amount of money and the duration of the plan, at the same time, attach the relevant plan, the estimate of funds and the requisition form of expenditure. After the controller’s office checks that the budget amount and the use and expenditure standard are in line with the provisions, it can ask the mayor of the township for approval and carry out the activities according to the plan. As soon as possible after the end of the activity, he has to check the receipt for write-off procedures. If the audit is not qualified, it will be returned to the business department and re-declared after completion. If the specific work encountered is more demanding, the accounting staff often leave business departments and the local executive head vexed. In addition to the executive heads who have sought to relocate them, there are also local executive heads who have sought the support of the controller for their work. Even in the legal premise, it seeks “small favors” to reduce the resistance of governance. “Confluence”12 In the government organization, the personnel, the plan, and the Civil Service Ethics are quite special in the “One whip” system. I think in the supervision of the local government, the influence of the controller and the Civil Service Ethics is greater. However, personnel also play an important role, as they can play a supervisory role when local executive heads have a large choice of contractual personnel. Some of the more politically savvy local executive heads will, through various means, turn the “Disadvantage” of “One whip” into an

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“Advantage.” For example, if there are plans to visit Japan this year, he may arrange for several directors of personnel, accounting, and Civil Service Ethics to go together. During the course of the visit, without the constraints of the authorities, they can have a meal together and chat easily, it’s a lot more personal. For example, for a “Whip” director’s office, if there is lack of air-conditioning, or a refrigerator, the governor will take the initiative to resolve this. Of course, “No credit, no reward.” When the controller receives the relevant application from the business department, he will often show mercy and spare no effort. In the event of non-compliance, the controller reviews the submission with the purser to find the safest and most convenient way to handle it.

3.2 “Triage” in the Clear Separation of the Two From the actual operation of the local government, personnel, accounting, and government style are the three types of “One whip” organization of the grade balance. In other words, the personnel office is at the same level as the head of the accounting or administrative office. If a government agency does not have a personnel office, it usually only has a personnel manager, an accountant, or even an official. This is because civil service ethics organization and personnel organization are usually set together.13 With the promulgation and implementation of the organizational guidelines for local administrative organs, local governments have more organizational powers. In order to upgrade the controller staff, The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics issues a circular letter to each local government suggesting that it will establish only the Accountant’s organization and likewise promotion will be for the accountant’s office. Personnel managers see the same as “A whip” of the master upgrade and ask to get an upgrade to “Personnel room.” “The civil service ethics institutions set up the civil service ethics department or the Civil service ethics Room,” set up the personnel room, and then set up the civil service ethics room. In this way, the controller, personnel, Civil Service Ethics of the three classroom settings, will occupy the three units quota. For smaller units, normal operations may be affected. In many units there is only one director, and in some units there are no posts. Even though there are the same number of posts as other business departments, the imbalance in the volume of business between the two types of departments has resulted in “equal pay for different jobs,” which has a negative impact on the internal organization of the organs, and even on the team spirit of the administration. Such an “alternative” staff and personnel, not only with the business sector, form a “Triage,” and directly affect the improvement of administrative efficiency. Big Principal? Big Personnel?14 The personnel and the controller come under the official affairs system of “A whip.” As a subsidiary of the county government, the schools cannot do without them. School administrative staff such as director, group leaders of teachers, and personnel and controller are appointed by the county government. As a result, there is a sense of scrutiny when these two strangers come to work at the school. However, to ensure the smooth operation of the school, the principal will generally choose to compromise, or even swallow it.

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When I was transferred to RL Primary School from another school, I paid more attention to the relationship with the local community as well as the upper and lower levels. I also obtained a lot of projects from the relevant departments, wherein the development of the school became especially prominent, and the parents supported the school’s work. Even if a parent complained to me, I used all my contacts and resources to help the teacher out. However, the only thing that bothered me is the “Personnel and plan” of the two “Locomotives.” The management of a whip is totally different from that in our school. It is a headache at work. Every school year counts the next year’s personnel funds. I received the document sent by the county government and approved it for personnel processing, because personnel are in charge of the schoolteachers and staff related to the situation. However, when the papers were sent to his office, he protested that he did not care about the “Money” issue and returned them. I reapproved the documents and forwarded them to the controller for processing. After receiving the official document, the controller said: “Does he not know the new year’s personnel arrangements cannot be estimated” In the end, the document was completed by the poor teacher and cashier’s head after many rounds of consultation with the personnel and the controller. Every year during this work, the document will go back and forth many times. Sometimes, even I am confused: Sometimes, I feel confused: big principal? Or big Personnel? In the end, due to my intolerance, through my connections, I lobbied with their superiors to remove them in exchange for more flexible advisers and personnel.

Notes 1.

2.

3. 4.

5.

6. 7.

Martial law was declared on May 19, 1949, by Governor of Taiwan Province and Taiwan Garrison Command Chen Cheng, beginning at midnight on May 20, 1949, throughout Taiwan Province, it lasted 38 years and 56 days until Chiang Ching-kuo declared martial law on July 15, 1987. The exclusive personnel management laws are respectively the “Regulations on the establishment and management of the personnel in the accounting institutions”, the “Regulations on the administration of personnel”, the “Regulations on the establishment and management of the personnel in the personnel institutions at various levels under the administrative yuan”, the “Regulations on the personnel of the police” and the “Regulations on the establishment and management of the personnel in the civil service ethics institutions”. Fu Zhengyan. A study of the relationship between the Nantou County Council. Master thesis, Tokai University, April 2000, p. 83. Zhao Yongmao, the relationship between local political ecology and local administration, taipei: seminar on the development of local politics and administration after the amendment of the Constitution, sponsored by the Public Administration Department, Taiwan Provincial Government, 2 May 1998. Wang Yanqiao: north municipal office reduced to “Lookout Office”? Police, environmental protection and health bureau public servants corruption charges the most, https://www.storm. mg/article/112731, 3 May 2016. Ji Junchen: a whip system and local autonomy, inter-governmental Relations Research Newsletter, No. 1, March 2008, pp. 5–7. The staff department is called the Business Department. As the office of the growing business, staff growth, beyond the head of personal time, energy and knowledge skills, had to ask for help others, these people are staff. When the number of staff increases, it is necessary to form units, that is to become staff departments. The work of the staff is internal and does not have a direct executive relationship with organizational goals. Staff can be divided into six categories according to the nature of their business: General Staff: such as Director Secretary, Secretariat; Auxiliary Staff: such as General Affairs, Personnel; technical staff: such as the rule of law

Notes

8. 9.

10.

11. 12. 13.

14.

153

room, technical room, research room; Reporting staff: such as the press room, the spokesman room; advisory staff: such as consultants, senators; supervisory staff: such as the Inspector Room, the administrative room. Chen Sihao: Hon Lam has refused to let Chan Ka-cheong into the, https://tw.appledaily.com/ new/realtime/20170920/1207468, 20 September 2017. Xiuwen: Who’s in charge of being a police chief in Taiwan? The mayor sets the rules for the Sheriff’s Department: my house, my rules, the Chief of Police, my, https://www.jfdaily.com/ news/detail?id=66122, 24 September 2017. Shut down, means the agent say good things to people. To open a “Joint” or settle a “Relationship” with words. In the context of Taiwan, refers to the use of official power to interfere with the normal law enforcement or administrative activities. 20,180,824 interview audio collation. 20,180,718 interview audio collation. Article 6 of the “Regulations on the establishment of personnel of civil service ethics agencies” stipulates that civil service ethics agencies of various organs shall set up civil service ethics departments or civil service ethics rooms by analogy with the personnel agencies of their respective organs. Where there is no administrative office (office), the business of the administrative work style shall be handled by the administrative work style agencies of the higher authorities. 20,180,606 interview audio collation.

Chapter 8

The Judicial Relationship in Local Governance

In Taiwan Area, the independent judicial system, legislative system, administrative system, supervisory system, and examination system constitute the system structure of the “separation of five powers”. In the local judicial system, the judicial practice of the local court and the administrative court not only resolves the social contradiction within the law, but also promotes social stability. As Rudolf von Jhering said, “Dharma is not just a thought, but a living force. Therefore, the just God holds the scales in one hand and uses them to measure the law, and the sword in the other to defend the law. A sword without its scales is naked violence; a balance without its sword is weakness.1 It is only when the power of the sword of the god of justice and the skill of the balance are both equal that a perfect state of rule of law can prevail, it is a process in which the local people participate in the administration of Justice, and in which the judiciary, the government and the people interact.”

1 Structure of the Local Judicial System 1.1 Nantou County District Court The judicial system in Taiwan is composed of ordinary courts, administrative courts, civil service disciplinary committees, and various other committees to exercise judicial power in civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings. For disciplinary power of civil servants, the “Constitutional provisions in Taiwan” provide the right to interpret legal orders in the court system, the Supreme Court, the High Court, and the district court. The relationship between the three levels of courts is the trial level, not an administrative subordinate relationship. The establishment of Nantou County District Court originated from the provision of “One county (City) one court” in the Organic Law of courts.” In 1990, the Nantou District Court and the Public Prosecutor’s office were set up in view of the inconvenience faced by Nantou County people in going to the Taizhong District Court. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_8

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The Nantou County District Court is the lowest judicial organ in Taiwan. It is a first-level court that conducts “Fact trials.” It mainly deals with civil and criminal first-instance proceedings, rulings, protests, and non-litigation matters; it hears civil and criminal cases in summary proceedings of second instance, and accepts cases of second instance for violation of public order. The scope of judicial services includes Nantou City, Caotun Township, Zhushan Township, Jiji Township, Puli Township, Zhongliao Township, Mingjian Township, Lugu Township, Shuili Township, Yuchi Township, Guoxing Township, Xinyi Township, Ren’ai Township, etc.

1.2 Puli Court In an effort to cut red tape and reduce the amount of time and money people spend on litigation, the Nantou County District Court set up the Puli Court at 640 South Ring Road, Puli Town, to accept the law on the maintenance of social order, summary proceedings, non-litigation, and other cases. The service areas mainly include Puli Township, Guoxing Township, Ren’ai Township, and Yuchi Township.

1.3 Administrative Litigation Division of Nantou District Court The High Administrative Court of Taizhong, which is a special court for administrative proceedings, tries both facts and law. The main service scope includes Miaoli County, Taizhong County (City), Nantou County, Zhanghua County, and Yunlin County, and part of the National Tax. In view of the inconvenience of the people of Nantou County in traveling to and from Taizhong, the High Court of Taizhong set up an administrative litigation division in the Nantou County District Court to deal with summary administrative proceedings. Starting from September 6, 2012, summary administrative proceedings can be brought directly in the administrative litigation division of the district court, saving time and effort. In cases involving tax affairs, where the amount of tax assessed or the fine imposed is less than NT $400,000, the summary procedure shall apply, and the administrative litigation division of the local court shall be the court of first instance. If Nantou County residents are not satisfied with the land premium tax of $100,000 assessed by the Inland Revenue Department, they would have to take legal action in the Taizhong High Administrative Court. They could then take the matter to the administrative litigation division of the Nantou District Court, if it is easier to litimen.

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2 Political Relations in the Local Judicial System 2.1 People Against the Government For the people of Taiwan, the nightmare of the Japanese occupation has only recently ended, with the implementation of the “Temporary Provisions Effective during the Period of Communist Rebellion” into the authoritarian system of the Kuomintang. Although the people have certain political status and power, in form of the relatively large and strong Kuomintang, they appear weak. In daily life, although unfairly treated by the government agencies, people cannot compete with the government. For example, in 1958, the KMT Nantou County chief, Li Guozhen, was indicted for corruption. After he was acquitted at first instance, the prosecutor who handled the second instance of Huang Xiangjian’s appeal was obstructed by pressure from the chief prosecutor at a higher level, Yan Xianfu. When Huang Xiangjian’s prosecutors ignored the appeal, he was asked to supplement the grounds of Appeal. When the prosecutor received the letter of reason for the appeal, he not only refused to approve it, but also directly signed a clear order not to appeal.2 With the rapid process of democratization in Taiwan, especially after martial law was lifted in 1987, the legal system gradually improved and the people’s awareness of protecting their rights increased. Not only for the tort of others, people defend their own rights and interests in accordance with the law, but also for the local government tort, they can rely on the administrative law system to safeguard their rights. Reports of people suing the government or an organization are often reported. However, the public face the contempt of government institutions, and sometimes are helpless. For example, in 1997, the Miaoli branch of the Competent executive authorities District Internal Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance issued a wrong tax bill and after the people put forward relief, in 2004, the Taizhong High Administrative Court ruled against Miaoli branch of the Competent executive authorities District Internal Revenue Service. “Internal Revenue Service” should have returned people’s property, but it has ignored the judicial decision. When the public asked the IRS to refund taxes in accordance with the administrative court decision, former Miaoli Branch Director Chen Hefa said in public that “The court said does not count.” “Administration according to law” sued.3 Taizhong High Administrative Court 92 v. 922. To implement the policy of park-like cemetery, the rural office of Mingjian, Nantou County, plans to install a funeral parlor at the site of the cemetery in the conservation area on the hillside at 164-12 Ma Tei, Mingjian, Nantou County, after the approval of the second session of the sixteenth National People’s Congress of Nantou County. The township public office has submitted a proposal for the provision of a funeral parlor at the park-like cemetery of the township public office, via letter No. 0910003407 of March 6, 2002 to the defendant for approval. After the defendant convened an on-site investigation on April 9, 2002, and the documents were examined by various authorities, consent was given by letter no. 091017325110 dated October 3, 2002 from the government of Nantou. Six copies of a soil and water conservation plan were to be submitted to the defendant before the commencement of construction. On July 2, 2003, the defendant issued No. 0854 construction license

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(092). The plaintiff was not satisfied after knowing that there were sanctions against the defendant for the development permit shown in Letter No. 091017325110 dated October 3, 2002, and sanctions against the defendant for the construction license No. 0854 dated July 2, 2003(092), which made the case null and void. Therefore, it was decided not to accept the letter and an administrative lawsuit was filed.

2.2 Lobby Administration of Justice Under the system of “Separation of powers” in Taiwan, the judiciary is independent of the legislature, the executive, examination, and supervision. If involved in a Specific of interests, the two systems maybe connected for the individual and the occurrence of “Intercession” phenomenon (the local people in Taiwan called lobby). The most significant case was in 2013, said Wang Jinping, the former head of the “Legislature,” on suspicion of corruption. Wang Jinping asked the head of the legal department, Tseng Yong Fu, and others, to instruct prosecutors not to appeal the case against Ke Jianming, the DPP’s general convenor. After the incident, Zeng Yongfu tendered his resignation and was allowed to resign. As the shock wave continued to grow, the focus was on Wang Jinping, triggering a political firestorm in Taiwan.4 The KMT examination committee decided to revoke Wang Jinping’s membership after Ma Ying made repeated demands for disciplinary action. In the interview it was also heard that some public officials had gained personal resources, or “Qiao” things.5 Some gained undue advantage in the process. In Taiwan, the first judicial case in this regard was the case of Xie daming, a former member of Parliament in Taipei, who was convicted of taking money from his job. He was given a heavy sentence ranging from five to ten years in the first instance of the Taipei District Court to three times in the High Court. However, in the “Supreme Court,” the original verdict was annuled and acquitted of the charges. As a result, the public questioned the independence of the judiciary. First Rule of Law! Ex-lawmaker Guan says 17-year-old case reverses acquittal.6 17-year-old Guan says he was found not guilty because of insufficient evidence! To see this first instance of justice! Xie daming, a former Taipei City Councilor, helped Guan to replace the project manager of the MRT bureau when he was a legislator 20 years ago. He also allegedly received 2.2 million remittances. After the incident broke, from the first instance of the Taipei District Court to even the third instance of the High Court, they were all given heavy sentences of five to ten years. However, the Supreme Court, in the end, annulled the original judgment and changed the verdict to acquittal. The reason for the verdict was that the prosecutor was unable to put forward, any consideration between the $2.2 million and Kwan. There was a heated debate in the meeting hall. Members of Parliament were quarreling over the MRT project. Xie Mingda, who was closely watching the project, was busy appeasing the completion of the Northern jetta-southern Port Line. He played an important role. However, behind this credit, it was revealed that he was talking about personnel matters, bribery, trial court on suspicion of corruption, and heavy sentence. The Supreme Court, however, this week reversed its decision and entered a verdict of “not guilty.” Originally, Xie Mingda was in charge of marking the MRT bureau’s Southport Line project at that time, but there were

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MRT construction units, and since they were not satisfied with the original project leader, they approached Xie Mingda and asked for a replacement. Xie Mingda not only issued a recommendation, even blackmailed him into accepting $2.2 million in bribes. Guan said that taking bribes cannot escape heavy punishment. From the first trial in the Taipei District Court to even the third trial in the High Court, they all received heavy sentences ranging from 3 to 10 years. In the end, the Supreme Court also did not send back the fourth shift, directly nullifying the original verdict and changing the verdict to acquittal. The reason is that, prosecutors were unable to prove that the $2.2 million was a wire transfer, and the ruling was not based on the presumption of innocence; this was the first judicial precedent that the public and the legal community felt was inappropriate. As of the deadline, Xie Mingda himself could not be reached; however, Guan said that Qiao was still taking money, and in the end he argued that it was a loan, thus exculpating himself. The Supreme Court also ignored the historical review and self-imposed a judgment, which, I’m afraid, caused people to question the independence of the judiciary.

2.3 Cross-Domain “Association” In order to protect the rights and interests of individuals, the judiciary is the best tool, both for individuals and for the government. After Cai Yingwen came to power, Taiwan embraced the “Non-nuclear home,” using “Clean coal,” natural gas, solar power, and offshore wind power. The ideal was based on a good concept, but solar and offshore wind technologies are limited, and the need is to rely on coal and natural gas. Limited by the meager reserves of natural gas, which is less substantial than coal, coal-fired power generation has become the main source of electricity for the whole island. In particular, with the completion of the Shenzhen-Macao coal-fired power plant, the Taizhong Power Plant has become the largest power plant in Taiwan Island. The smokestacks are 250 m high and spreading emissions to Taizhong, Nantou County, Yunlin County, and Zhanghua County, in the center of the country causing suffering. Lin Mingzhen, the head of Nantou County, which has the largest number of residents in Taiwan suffering from adenocarcinoma, is actively facing the problem of air pollution. He also held a press conference in Taizhong with former Premier Zhang Shanzhen, Taizhong mayoral candidate, Lu Xiuyan, Yunlin County mayoral candidate, Zhang Lishan, Zhanghua mayoral candidate, Wang Huimei, and the head of the medical advisory panel, Dr. Cai Mingzhong. Through a cross-regional coalition of political parties, an administrative lawsuit has been filed against the Taizhong coal-fired power plant to seek compensation for the families of the victims. Lin Mingzhen is filing an administrative lawsuit against China Fire.7 The problem of air pollution is worsening yearly, former “Premier” Zhang Shanzheng, Taizhong mayoral candidate, Lu Xiuyan, Nantou County Mayor, Lin Mingzhen, Yunlin County mayoral candidate, Chang Li-shan, Zhanghua County mayoral candidate, Wang Huimei and others, said at a press conference in Taizhong on “Fighting air pollution and protecting health.” Lin Mingzhen noted that 241 lung adenocarcinoma deaths occurred in Nantou last year, the highest in Taiwan. He is filing an administrative lawsuit against the Taizhong fossil-fuel power station, seeking $1 million each in civil damages.

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At the press conference, Lin Xian, Zhang Qian, and representatives from all counties and cities respectively pointed out that PM2.5 has caused air and environmental hazards in recent years, and jointly proposed a subsidy for early lung cancer screening to ensure the health of county residents, to achieve early detection, and early treatment. According to Lin Mingzhen, Nantou County has good mountains and good water, but poor air quality. The Taiwan fire burns 16,000 tons of raw coal a day, compared with 1.6 tons across Nantou County. The difference is as high as 10,000 times. According to statistics, the air quality in Nantou County for 44 days a year is “Quite bad,” which leads to a slow death for Nantou people. They urged Taizhong fossil-fuel power station to reduce the burning of raw coal as soon as possible. According to statistics provided by the “Ministry of Health and Welfare” recently, as many as 241 lung adenocarcinoma deaths occurred in Nantou County, with an average of 48 deaths per 100,000 people. Lin said, he will seek the consent of the family of a man who has died of lung adenocarcinoma before filing an administrative lawsuit with the Taizhong fossil-fuel power station.

3 The Impact of Local Judicial System on Grassroots Governance 3.1 “Judges of the People” Participate in the Trial Justice must not only be done, it must be done in a way that people can see it, said Huyett, a famous British judge. In order to achieve substantive justice, the procedure must be constantly improved, but human knowledge and practice are limited, and what is substantive justice is not always clear, so compromise is necessary. For example, acquittal of a person who actually committed a crime is a violation of substantive justice, but the procedure is still based on presumption of innocence. This principle implies that it is a necessary compromise of last resort to assume that the outcome is just when the entity cannot be identified despite the best efforts of the methodology and process. Here, what is theoretically incomplete is that procedural justice plays a role institutionally as pure justice.”8 In order to enhance judicial trust and transparency, reflect people’s legitimate legal feelings, and enhance people’s understanding and trust in the administration of justice, the Nantou County Magistrates’ courts strive to encourage people to participate in criminal trials together with judges, and the construction of software, hardware facilities, and preparation for the simulation court. In order to ensure the smooth completion of the first-ever national participation in the criminal trial moot court, the Nantou County District Court has given due consideration to the public’s willingness to participate in criminal trials in their daily work and daily life; through screening of 186 volunteer assessors, 6 judges and 2 reserve judges were selected. After taking the oath and signing the oath, a collegial panel is formed with 3 professional judges. In order to reflect the new system’s pursuit of the integration of diverse social values in the administration of justice, the People’s judges elected come from different sectors of society, including businesspersons, Labor, military veterans, town and city mediators, retired principals, county government officials, and so on. The successful

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holding of this trial moot court led to the Nantou County people (especially the county people who participated in the “Trial”) gaining a more intuitive and objective understanding of the independent court trial, the trial process, the relationship between the court and the Procuratorate, etc., and strengthened the people’s legal consciousness. It also further strengthened the people’s legal rights awareness. Nantou court completes its first mock trial of nationals participating in criminal trials.9 The first mock court preparation for the Nantou County District Court was conducted on March 16, 2018, and the selection, hearing, and exchange of judges were completed on May 10 and 11, 2018; more than 100 guests and court colleagues participated in the trial, inspection, and defense. Many media in the district sent reporters to cover and report the event successfully. The trial was based on an actual case of attempted murder from nine years ago. The mock court composed of presiding Judge Liao Jiannan, jury judge Yang Guoyu and Francis Choi, as well as six public judges and two reserve public judges. The public prosecutors were Wang Quanzhong and Zhang Yongzheng of the Nantou District Attorney’s office; the defenders were Zheng Chonghuang and Chen Yingshou of the Nantou Law Society, and the roles of defendant, witness, and victim were all played by colleagues of the court; it was a natural performance. At the same time, four commentators were arranged. The trial procedure was conducted by taking the draft law on people’s participation in criminal trial of the competent judicial authorities as an operating model, and the people’s judges participating in the criminal trial procedure throughout, witness in person all the procedures and evidence, such as the judge directing the proceedings, the prosecutor presenting evidence, the defense of the defendant, the witness’ statement in court, the appraisal process and conclusion, the victim’s statement, etc. In the procedure of cross-examination of witnesses in the investigation of evidence, the court reconstructed the scene by using the data such as the floor plan of the scene projected by the “Physical prompt machine” in the courtroom, so that the public judge can understand and grasp the facts of the case in the shortest time. In deciding the final culpability and sentencing review, the court thoughtfully and carefully pre-planned the possible options for the review, allowing the public and professional judges to discuss and present their views to each other on a reciprocal basis, come to a joint decision on guilty or not guilty, explain on what charges he was found guilty, and on the degree of punishment. Some public judges expressed sympathy for the situation of the family of the defendant, Chen Nan, and considered that he had acted impulsively rather than intentionally in killing people, but there were also popular judges who believed that the seven star sword was aimed at the victim’s neck, and that the means of cutting was cruel. In the end, nine people voted. One vote was for not found guilty of attempted murder; for the two crimes of wounding, a sentence of two years and six months was imposed, which is half the sentence for attempted murder. After the conclusion of the trial and the deliberation proceedings, the presiding judge, Liao Jiannan, delivered the judgment and gave a brief explanation of the reasons for the judgment. An exchange session was then held, chaired by the presiding judge, Huang Junming. In addition to praising the simulation process, commentators, participating prosecutors, defenders, and guests at the symposium, they also actively expressed their views on participating in this mock trial and their suggestions on public participation in the criminal justice system. The citizen judges who participated said that it was a great experience to participate in this mock trial, that their knowledge of the law has grown a lot, and that for the first time they have had such a deep experience of the judiciary. To understand the proceedings and the content of the proceedings, a careful understanding of the process and the legal relationships involved was, according to them, one of the most vivid legal lessons, and participation in trials they believed is a good thing in bridging the perception gap between judges and the public.

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3.2 Pre-trial “Family Mediation” In order to maintain local stability and good social order, in addition to a more complete legal system as a guarantee, local governments have set up mediation committees in each township, using traditional local folk power to mediate social contradictions. These are to enhance social stability and nip crime in the bud. Due to the deficiency of the members’ legal professional quality, the “Emotion card” is often used in mediation. Although this kind of mediation method has some space to solve the social contradictions at the grassroots level, “Honest officials can’t get rid of family affairs” has been the “Magic Spell” that perplexes the Township Mediation Committee. When the Conciliation Commission is unable to resolve the dispute, the parties have to resort to the courts. As the saying goes, “no tongue does not touch teeth, no spoon does touch the pot along the rim.” Family disputes involve feelings and privacy between family members and their relatives, and if the parties and the persons concerned can communicate freely, autonomously, effectively, and consult together, they will truly understand where the dispute lies and find reasonable solutions to rebuild or adjust a harmonious identity or property relationship. This can happen in a way that a court cannot achieve. However, if the parties and related parties cannot have a rational dialogue during the conflict, and the Township Mediation Committee cannot mediate, it will often lead to disputes between two or more families, and even affect social stability. That’s where the courts come in. In order to avoid confrontation or re-injury and to save time and costs in litigation, the “Family Affairs Law” promulmend in Taiwan uses family mediation procedures to advance judicial procedures for quick and easy solutions to family conflicts and maintain social stability. According to the law on family matters, when a family dispute needs to be resolved through legal means, whether it is between husband and wife or between parents and children, before the court begins to hold a trial, first, a trained mediator will help the family members to think calmly about the problems they are facing, negotiate calmly to come up with a reasonable plan, or clarify the crux of the problem, and properly resolve the dispute. Apart from family non-litigation events (Class D events10 ) or other circumstances that cannot be mediated, such as the whereabouts of the parties or their settlement outside the country, family litigation events (e.g., matrimonial events, parent–child events, class C family events) and class E family non-litigation events (e.g., matrimonial non-litigation events, parent–child non-litigation events, adoption events), are in principle subject to court mediation. The family mediation process is a mechanism through which the family Mediation Committee assists the parties to resolve their disputes autonomously. The court and the mediator first respect the choice of the parties and if mediation cannot be established, the case will be referred to the judge. During the mediation process, either party or the mediator may suspend or terminate the mediation process at any time. The essence of family mediation is to put the court in front of the trial, so the nature of family mediation, the qualification of Mediation Committee and the effectiveness of mediation are the same. However, it is different from mediation in a

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township, town, city, or district office. Therefore, if mediation in the township, town, city or district office has failed, family will have to take matters to the court, but still have to go through court mediation. The system is designed so that the parties can work out a mutually acceptable solution in a harmonious atmosphere, without having to deal with it directly in court and because of the ongoing confrontation in the proceedings, hurt each other again. It saves time and money. If the mediation is established, the party who has paid the fee may apply for a refund of two-thirds of the fee within 3 months from the date of the mediation. If the content of the mediation is acceptable to both parties, naturally they will be willing to do so automatically. If one party fails to act in accordance with the mediation, the other party may apply to the court for enforcement or request the court to advise the other party to act in accordance with the mediation. Even if mediation is not established, the mediator in the mediation process can help the parties to communicate, clarify the problem, ease the opposition, and understand each other’s implied meaning; it is still helpful to resolve disputes or ease opposing emotions. Thus, family mediation process can greatly reduce the occurrence of social conflicts. At the same time, the persons acting as family mediators are senior psychologists, social workers employed by the courts, and persons with learning experience in law, education, counseling, etc., or someone with professional experience in family mediation. With the help of such judicial practice, people not only have a deeper understanding of the law, but also make personal efforts to ensure the harmony of the family and the stability of the society.

3.3 “Sunshine Justice” Strengthens Public Trust Judicial Reform is a big part of Cai Yingwen’s agenda. After 13 months of gestation and preparation, the three-month judicial reform “Guoshi Conference” was finally opened on February 20, 2017 in the form of a “Group Meeting.” However, while the so-called conference was still in the preparatory stage, disputes continued to break out, from the procedure for selecting members of the conference to the selection of members to the grouping of groups. “Attorney General” Yan Dahe jokingly called it “Department to change the drama.”11 There seems to be considerable disappointment in the process.12 It can be said that there is a general lack of trust in the judicial system and even in the administration of justice in Taiwan. In order to enhance the credibility of the judiciary, the Nantou District Court has adopted the interactive form of teacher study, legal camp, judicial theater, and court visit, using online tools such as LINE to push weekly legal stories, “take a look at the law, HI!” Lay judge and other topics are discussed so that the public really know the judicial operation of the closed and independent judiciary. It offers different ways to interact with different people. It provides children with legal theater, teenagers with a “circus court,” busy middle-aged people with music videos such as “Law zero distance” and “Heaven-called life.” It also provides cross-talk for middle-aged

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and elderly people and uses work time to carry out various forms of interactions in legal practice. Through the organization of “the court and the people have an appointment activity,” people can be helped to make an appointment to visit the court, to participate in court activities and so on. For instance, court observation, court guided tour, Mock Court interpretation, meeting the judges, and so on are conducted. The Nantou District Court has made great efforts to rebuild the relationship between the judicial system and the people by means of platforms and media. In the process of rebuilding this relationship, the Nantou District Court provided a better social order for the administration of the Nantou County Government.

Notes 1.

Rudolf Rudolf von Jhering: Power Struggle. Translated by Pan Handian. Law Translation Series, 1985, (2). 2. I’m under orders not to appeal! Prosecutorial pressure could turn into political muscle, https:// www.follaw.tw/f03/7664/, 29 June 2015. 3. competent Executive authorities Research, Development and Evaluation Commission: an exploration of the environmental impact assessment system (POD), competent Executive authorities Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, 2010 edition, p. 345. 4. Taiwan’s political and judicial lobby case, http://www.chinanews.com/tw/z/twztsfgs/index. shtml. 5. Locals refer to the negotiations as “Qiao” or “Tangyuan.” 6. https://www.ttv.com.tw/news/view/10708180007700I/568, 18 August 2018. 7. Nantou has the highest number of lung adenocarcinoma cases in Taiwan, Lin Mingzhen will file an administrative lawsuit against zhonghuo, https://tw.news.yahoo.com has the highest number of lung adenocarcinoma cases in Taiwan, and Lin Mingzhen will file an administrative lawsuit against zhonghuo-081144259. HTML, 1 October 2018. 8. Taniguchi in peace, procedural justice and litigation. Translated by Wang Yaxin et al. Beijing: China University of Political Science and Law Press, 1996, pp. 3–4. 9. http://ntd.judicial.gov.tw/index.asp?struid=6&cid=361. 10. Such as Civil Protection Order, guardianship/aided declaration, revocation of Guardianship/aided declaration, declaration of death, revocation of declaration of death, etc. 11. https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/newspapers/20170221000361-260118?chdtv. 12. Weike: You’re unhappy, and I’m unhappy, with Taiwan’s judicial reform, https://www.bbc. com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-40954039.

Chapter 9

Political Relations and Role of the Village Chief in Grassroots Village (Sub-District) Governance

1 Administrative Structure and Type of Village (Sub-District) 1.1 Administrative Structure of a Village (Sub-District) To facilitate the implementation of self-government, the Nantou County Government, in accordance with the “Law on local systems” and passed by the Nantou County Council, has implemented “Regulations on the formation and adjustment of selfgovernment in the villages of Nantou County,” to guide the management and service of the township public offices to the villages (sub-districts) within their administrative areas.

Organization and Adjustment of Villages (Sub-Districts) From the perspective of the history of Nantou County’s village development, both the original Aborigines and the newly arrived Aborigines all lived together and formed certain living and production areas, respectively. To facilitate the division of the village (sub-district) area, boundaries were set in accordance with local customary law. For example, the dividing line of the mountains and the apex of mounds, the competent executive authorities line of roads, rivers, ditches, streams, permanent passes, dykes, bridges, and other strong buildings were used as boundaries. Considering the scope of the village (sub-district) service capacity and management range, the number of households in each village (sub-district) is a key factor. For example, in areas with convenient transportation and population concentration, it is advisable to have 900–1,800, households; in areas with convenient transportation and

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_9

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Table 1 Population size in 33-mile Puli The village

Number of persons

The village

Number of persons

The village

Number of persons

1,955

Zhuge

1,329

Qingxin

4,316

3,784

Ailan

1,735

Yixing

1,081

Hecheng

Dacheng

6,774

Chenggong

Da’nan

1,867

Ximen

Shuitou

4,479

Fangli

1640

Xinan

1,388

Niumian

3,299

Dongmen

3,114

Wugong

3,044

Beian

3,936

Pacheng

3,159

Fuxing

1,137

Beimen

3,006

Pipa

9,032

Guangcheng

1,308

Beimei

3,837

Nacun

1654

Xunhua

1,202

Qilin

1,185

Shigang

656

Tongsheng

2,626

Xiangshan

745

342

Nanmen

914

Taomi

1157

Lancheng

1,076

Taian

2,574

Tieshan

2,105

Unit: person

scattered population, it is advisable to have 400–1,200 households; In mountainous areas with poor transportation and scattered households, the number of households should not exceed 300. In terms of the size of Puli’s 33-mile population (see Table 1), 9,032 persons live in the most populous Pipa, 342 in the least populous Chenggong, and 2,468 persons is the mean population, with a median value of 1,867 persons. In the process of dividing a village (sub-district), if there is a dispute over the demarcation line, the region is staggered, or the terrain is narrow, which leads to inconvenience in carrying out autonomous business, and if the local economic and household registration conditions do not match the area of the region, or the regional and natural situation leads to traffic difficulties, or if the number of households in the village (sub-district) is small or excessive, or in case of any other special circumstances, appropriate adjustments may be considered.

Grouping and Adjustment of Neighbors “Lin” is the term for the village (sub-district) under administrative grouping. Depending on the terrain and population density, there are different criteria for Lin. In densely populated areas, at least 30 and no more than 100 households shall be allowed, with 50 households as the mean, and in sparsely populated areas, no less than 20 and no more than 70 households shall be allowed based on a mean of 40 households. Puli is divided into northeast, southeast, northwest, southwest, and competent executive authorities areas based on geographical location. In the northeast, there are five miles of Wugong Li, big trees, north plum trees, Shigang, Fuxing, and Niumian. In the southeast, there are six miles of Pipa, city, Shuitou, Qilin, Xi’nan, and Zhuge;

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the northwest region has 4 sub-districts of Guangcheng, synth, Yixin, and Xiangshan, and the southwest region has 8 sub-districts of taomi, Chenggong, Namch’on, Ayran, Tieshan District, Dacheng, Fangli and Lancheng; the competent executive authorities area includes the East Men, the West Men, the south men, the north men, the Bei’an Men, the Tai’an Men, the Xunhua, the simultaneous sound, freshness, and so on adding to 9 sub-districts. Puli has 569 neighbors in 33 districts, with an average of 17 neighbors per neighborhood.1 There are 44 neighbors in Pipa and Dacheng, and only 6 neighbors in Chenggong. Relative to the north-east, south-east, north-west, and south-west regions, the competent executive authorities region of Puli has a high population density. The average population per neighbor is larger than that of other regions. For example, Qingxin has 30 neighbors, each with about 143 people; Tongsheng has 12 neighbors, each with about 218 people; Fuxing has 11 neighbors, each with about 103 people; and Chenggong has 6 neighbors, each with about 57 people. There are 10 people in the neighborhood, with about 65 in each. In accordance with the autonomy regulations, the names of neighbors are arranged in numerical order based on those who travel east and west from the east end and those who travel north and south from the south end. If the situation is special, it may be compiled according to the natural environment. Whether it is a village (sub-district) marshalling, or adjacent to the marshalling, if the area is vast, scattered households, are numbered according to the actual situation of the marshalling adjustment. However, the reasons must be explained to the Nantou County Government and accompanied by a diagram. After being approved by the county government, it shall be handled exclusively.

The Relationship Between the Village (Sub-District) Chief and His Neighbor’s Chief According to the provisions of the “Local System Law,” “a person who owns a village (sub-district) shall be under the command and supervision of the township (town, city, District) head and handle the village (sub-district) official duties and tasks assigned to him. The villagers (sub-district) shall elect the village chief according to law for a term of four years and may re-elect him for a second term. When no one applies for registration, he may be selected by the township (town, city or district) office of the village (sub-district), if the village (sub-district) chief has the qualifications of a candidate for the position of mayor of the village (sub-district); further, his term of office shall be limited to the current term of office”. The head of the village is a “public official,” but he is “not given a post.” In addition to the 45,000 NT dollars a month in business subsidies, the mayor can apply for a subsidy of 16,000 yuan a year for a health check, 15,000 yuan for insurance, and 6,000 yuan for self-improvement activities. If the governor dies during his term of office, the funeral allowance will be 50,000 yuan; if the governor gets married, the allowance will be 20,000 yuan. At the same time, the office can apply for 300,000 yuan per year for neighborhood construction services and 60,000 yuan per year for good-neighborly activities.

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The neighborhood leader is selected by the village (-RRB-) leader and appointed after reporting to Puli Town Office. He is under the command and supervision of the village (sub-district) director to assist him in handling adjacent affairs. To boost the enthusiasm of the neighbors, Puli Town Office offers free newspaper subscriptions and organizes a visit to the village once a year. In the course of specific work, the neighborhood chief is more the assistant of the village (sub-district) chief; he helps the village (sub-district) chief distribute ballot papers, distribute goods donated by higher government departments or other legal person organizations, etc. Neighborhood leaders are of “one heart”2 We have 12 neighbors, that is, 12 neighbor chiefs. Neighborhood generation is not uniform. Some are based on self-recommendation, some on good personal relations, willing to come out to help us, and some are elected. In fact, the most fundamental way to become “one heart” between the village (sub-district) chief and his neighbor chief. Neighbor chiefs at the front, and their support helps me. Therefore, the general situation of the neighbor chiefs rarely changes, unless the neighbor chief is at fault or have been injured badly and a change is needed. On the contrary, if a transition is seen between the old and new governors, the new governors may rise in power, and the old governors will lose their strength. A chief may want his own people to rise up as governors. Regarding the kind of people who can be appointed as neighbor chief, basically, the person would have to be in charge, but there are no special requirements. However, a neighbor chief cannot be too old. A neighbor chief cannot claim insurance if he is over 75. Why would a neighbor chief require insurance? It’s because there have been cases where insurance would have helped. One year, an older neighbor chief went out on an errand and was killed in a car accident. However, since the older neighbor chief had no insurance, there was no money. Since then, it was considered a good idea to give neighbor chiefs insurance, since it did not cost much money anyway, and if something goes wrong, they can get at least 500,000 NT as compensation. Our largest neighbor chief serves more than 70 households, the smallest neighbor chief serves only 8 households. Although every neighbor chief gets free newspapers, an annual trip, and a subsidy of NT $1,000 at the end of the year, the Taizhong City Government gives neighbor chief NT $2,000 a month, which is 24,000 NT a year. To thank my neighbor chief for their support of my work, I would buy sausages or meat floss for them out of my own pocket every spring festival. The gift, though not heavy, was an expression of appreciation for their work. In addition to helping me distribute materials, they also used to respond to my call for meetings, which is not easy because people are busy, and it is not easy to meet people when a lot of work is done on the LINE or on the phone. For example, the last time the mayor came to me for a town hall meeting, I mentioned on the LINE group that they all the neighbor chief were here. In addition to the 12 neighbor chiefs, many Li people also assembled, and with more than 80 people, it was a lively session.

1.2 Type of Village (Sub-District) In terms of industrial form, geographical location, and population size, there are three types of villages in Puli: commercial type, partial type, and characteristic type. They each have different economic forms and regional characteristics, and the focus and difficulties of long-term service are different in each.

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Core Area Commercial Village (Sub-District) In the Puli administrative region, Dongmen li, Ximen li, Nanmen li, Beimen li, Beian li, Taian li, Xunhua li, Tongsheng Li, and Qingxin li are located in the “Competent executive authorities Region,” in the heart of the Puli Town Hall. This area is prosperous in commerce and has a high population density. A good social order and environment are important for the local people to thrive. For example, there is a “Third market” in the south men, where, apart from fixed stalls, there are old women pushing carts selling mochi and vegetables; traffic is congested here causing difficulties to nearby residents. To this end, villager Chen Zhaowi li not only to direct traffic, but also to constantly patrol to ensure “Light, horizon, water, and communication” to create a better living environment for the people.

Characteristic Village (Sub-District) in the Fringe Area There are 13 sub-districts in Wugong Li: ShiGang Li, FuXing Li, NiuMian Li, Guang Cheng Li, Yi Xin Li, Xiang Shan Li, Nan Cun Li, Cheng Gong Li, Tao Mi Li, Xi’nan Li, Zhu Ge Li, and Qilin Li, lying on the edge of Puli District. Wugong Li is bordered on three sides by Ren Ai Township; Qilin Li is bordered on the east by Ren’ai, on the south by Zhongzheng Village, on the west by Yuchi Township, and on the north by Guang Cheng and Ren Ai Township, Xiang Shan West, and Bei shan village of Guoxing Township, South Village West, and Bei shan border. The villages of Guoxing and Ren’ai are higher altitude than those of Puli, and traffic is inconvenient. For villages in the border areas of Puli, apart from ensuring smooth roads, bright streetlights, and free flow of water, it is also necessary to consider how to develop characteristic industries to drive economic development. For example, Taomi is actively developing its tourism industry and has become a well-known tourist attraction spot; the factory in Xi’nan where paper dragons are made is famous as a sightseeing spot; the Zhuzaishan community was jointly developed by Xi’nan and Zhuge, and in the Community Development Association has received various honors, including the “2018 Community Development Excellence Award.”

Part-Time Village (Sub-District) in the Transitional Zone Twelve miles from the city of PA, Ailan, Iron Mountain, Big Mountain, north plum, Pipa, Shuitou, Fangli, Dacheng and Lancheng lie in the middle of the transition zone between the competent executive authorities and peripheral areas. Here, the residential area is more dispersed than the competent executive authorities area, and planting of bamboo shoots can be seen everywhere. In many people’s homes, one can also see the shadow of “family-level factories.” In the transitional area of the village (sub-district), the village (sub-district) chief often found many strange

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residents moving in because the rent was low in this area. To this end, it was necessary to ensure that the areas are accessible by good roads, to provide streetlights and open ditches, and secure conditions for living.

2 The Structure and Functions of Village (Sub-District) Leaders 2.1 Composition of Village (Sub-District) Header Age and Gender Structure Judging by the results of the 2018 “Five-in-one” election (see Table 2), the average age of the 33 elders in Puli was 59.18, with a median age of 60. The maximum age is 81 years (Xunhua), the minimum age is 44 years (Ailan, a new sub-district). Of these, 2 were aged 40–44, 2 were aged 44–49, 2 were aged 50–54, 10 were aged 55–59, 11 were aged 60–64, and 4 were aged 65–69, and two were over 70.3 The average age of newly elected governors in Puli lies somewhere in the middle, compared with 55–64 for the previous year, from the local elections held in 2014. Under the electoral recall law, a village chief can be elected after 23, but for Puli, where the average age of the village chief is 60, it is clear that only with the accumulation of a certain amount of experience, the ability to deal with affairs, and with wisdom can one assume its “Lizhang Bo” “local guardian god” responsibility. Ximen, Dacheng, Zhuge, Taomi, Chenggong, Tiexin, Yixin, Wugong Li, and so on are 8 village chiefs, with women accounting for 24.24% of the chiefs. This is far higher than the 12.03% of female chiefs elected in Taiwan in 2014, 14% percent in municipalities and 10.21% in counties (cities). This shows that women in Puli are far more willing to participate in politics than women in other townships.

Education and Political Parties In terms of the educational qualifications, of the 21 elected governors of Puli, 78.79% of the governors had a high school education or less, while only 21.21% had a junior college education or above. Among them, 2 held a master’s degree, 1 had a university degree, 4 had finished junior college, 10 had a high school diploma, and 16 had less than high school education. From the Nantou County magistrate elected in 2018, those with a doctorate, master’s degree, university, junior college, high school, less than high school, or other educational background were 0.38%, 2.29%, 5.34%, 15.27%, 36.64%, 33.59%, and 6.49% respectively. The qualifications of Puli’s newly elected prefect are average across the county. From a county-wide perspective, the political color of the village (sub-district) chief is far less prominent than that of other public officials. In the 2018 village chief

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Table 2 2018 election of village chiefs in Puli Serial The village number

Name

Sex Year of birth

Recommend Number Share a political of votes of party obtained votes (%)

Whether or not the incumbent

1

Dongmen

Zhang ruikun

M

1955 –

816

45.56 Yes

2

Nanmen

Chen zhaowei

M

1963 –

303

50.58 Yes

3

Ximen

Wang meihui

F

1963 –

1815

100.00 Yes

4

Beimen

Wang jinzhen

M

1954 –

873

56.83 No

5

Tongsheng

Zhou wenqi

M

1958 Kuomintang

864

56.36 Yes

6

Xunhua

Wbeiyue

M

1937 Kuomintang

586

100.00 Yes

7

Qingxin

You qingran

M

1962 –

2017

100.00 Yes

8

Dacheng

Huang linglan

F

1964 –

1689

46.52 No

9

Lancheng

Cai rongquan

M

1957 –

287

41.47 No

10

Pipa

Pan tieguo

M

1959 –

1792

39.11 No

11

Shuitou

Liao zhengyu

M

1958 –

1400

59.65 Yes

12

Qilin

Huang wuyin

M

1953 –

396

54.09 No

13

Zhuge

You liqiong

F

1960 –

743

100.00 Yes

14

Xinan

Lin zhiliang

M

1966 –

408

50.18 No

15

Taomi

Zeng xiutao

F

1957 –

432

62.06 Yes

16

Chenggong

Peng huizhen

F

1969 –

120

48.19 No

17

Nancun

Chen qixiang

M

1949 –

550

62.28 Yes

18

Ailan

Chen wenfu

M

1974 –

592

61.28 Yes

19

Tieshan

Lin xiuhui F

1957 –

619

56.42 No

20

Fangli

Lin qionghu

1956 –

771

100.00 Yes

M

(continued)

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Table 2 (continued) Serial The village number

Name

Sex Year of birth

Recommend Number Share a political of votes of party obtained votes (%)

Whether or not the incumbent

21

Xiangshan

Lai zhicheng

M

1962 Kuomintang

350

74.30 Yes

22

Yixin

Lin youchen

F

1974 –

334

44.29 No

23

Guangcheng Zhang guofeng

M

1954 –

318

40.05 No

24

Shigang

Cong M mingcong

1958 –

352

100.00 Yes

25

Fuxing

Huang guanhao

M

1960 –

391

59.42 No

26

Niumian

Pan junming

M

1972 –

1116

56.33 No

27

Danan

Ruan zhicong

M

1961 –

557

50.13 Yes

28

Wugong

Huang meiyu

F

1961 –

1540

100.00 Yes

29

Hecheng

Chen xinyi

M

1957 –

969

100.00 No

30

Beian

Wei zhizhong

M

1960 Kuomintang 1066

50.59 Yes

31

Pacheng

Zeng muchun

M

1948 –

919

54.02 Yes

32

Beimei

Lin huipeng

M

1953 –

1190

59.20 Yes

33

Taian

Song zhixian

M

1950 –

1322

100.00 Yes

elections, the Kuomintang nominated 55 candidates to elect 36, and the Democratic Progressive Party nominated 4 candidates to elect 1. Of the 33 chiefs of Puli, only 4 were KMT members and the other 29 were non-party members. For the village (sub-district) chief, the party label is not necessarily important; even if the other chiefs are not necessarily from their party, it only benefits them more in building their own network. In addition to the general access to political party votes (party nomination), a lot of votes depend on the growth of their personal network. Mayoral elections and political parties4 The current election of village chief election is different from the original one. In this case, having a political party background is helpful. Previously, at that time the Kuomintang was in power, a person could be elected only if he was nominated by the party. Since the organizational system of the Kuomintang was well developed then, from top to bottom, from the county party headquarters to the township party headquarters, and then to the Li

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Group; from government organs, to systems such as the Agricultural Association, the Fishing Association, and the Farm Irrigation Association, all came under the Kuomintang. Together with the Kuomintang’s own mass organizations, such as the Women’s Association, the party played an important role. Therefore, if one was nominated from within the KMT, it was relatively clear that one would be supported by the party, and hence, through the strength of the organization and appropriate auxiliary elections, one could easily be elected. However, now things are different. After the Democratic Progressive Party came to power, the improper actions of the party property disposal committee influenced the Kuomintang greatly. Now, there’s only one secretary on duty at the Puli Party headquarters, and there’s no such thing as a Community service center. People have a new understanding of political parties, and with the concept of political parties becoming increasingly diverse, if a political party background is used to participate in the election, there will loss of faith in the opposition party votes. As a “colorless” election, besides getting a lot of voters in the middle of the vote, blue-green voters will see a candidate’s enthusiasm and ability to serve and, they will vote for him. Plus, “when I’m elected, I’ll be able to talk to the mayor of any party through my connections. For example, I can win resources both from the Kuomintang’s competent legislative authorities and from the DPP’s county councilors. However, if there is a political color, when I need to fight for the resources of the people, there may be resistance from the political parties.” “Basically, the role of the party is not obvious in the position of the governor,” admits a competent executive authorities district governor. “Like, I have always been a party member, and both the Kuomintang and the DPP have dragged me to join the party. I have always refused although I have always been a party member. However, there are those who think I’m greenish. It just so happens that we have a little bit more blue-green than green. This is because many of our doctors are all more inclined to “green” (Democratic Progressive Party); also, long-standing contradictions exist withing the Kuomintang. I’m not going to join either of these parties, so it’s fine the way things are handled, there’s no party element, there’s no party element.”5

Election and Re-Election In the election of public officials in Taiwan, the chief of Wei-du village (sub-district) can be re-elected for a second term; additionally, there is no limit on the number of times a chief can be elected. Therefore, in the hearts of the people, they often have the impression that “Village heads are always re-elected.” Just as Zhou Wenqi of Tongsheng Li and Lin Huizhang of BeiMei Li served as the 16th and 21st sheriffs respectively, Wu Beiyue of Xunhua Li, Zeng xiutao of Taomi Li, were respectively served as the 17th to 20th sheriffs, and these four chiefs are the most senior of Puli’s 33 village chiefs. For candidates running for public office, running for a second term, as well as for the first, is a challenge, unless there is no competition. In 2018, 20 of Puli’s 21 village chiefs were re-elected and 13 were newly elected. It is not difficult to see from the resumes of the 33 chiefs of Puli’s 21st provincial government (see Table 3) that those who have successfully been re-elected have more extensive experience, deeper connections with the region, and experience of cultivation for many years. Of these, 15 had three or more terms of experience, 2 had experience as a manager or director of a temple management committee, and 4 had served as the president of

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a Community Development Association. According to the curriculum vitae of the newly elected governors, those who have held important positions as governors, or in the Community Development Association or the Temple Management Committee, as well as the heads of parents and the core members of social organizations, are highly competitive. My election and re-election6 The electoral climate in recent years has been so bad that candidates have spent their energies on unnecessary things, from buying tickets to campaigning. When I ran, I didn’t put up a single flyer, I didn’t plant a flag. Others running for village chief were putting up billboards, planting flags, and printing propaganda. All these cost a lot of money, nearly around NT $4 million. I spent only 8,000 NT dollars. I bought two vests for 700 NT, a red strip for 800 NT, a thousand business cards for a few hundred NT, and nothing else. My classmate, Taizhong, who was running a factory, offered to help me. He said, “Just give me some pictures, and I will print the flyers.” I said, No, and then he helped me make some flyers without pictures. Since then, I’ve spent about 2,000 bucks on 1,000 flyers with pictures on them, so that’s about 8,000 bucks. During the election, there would be a lot of people who would come to the table and say, “I’m here for dinner. What am I going to do? I want 900 yuan...” I said I had nothing to eat. I had a pot of boiling water and a pot of tea. A lot of people come to help saying, you want to be chosen the governor, I come and help. I said, I thank you, I really do not need your help, and you do not know what I can do for you.” Our chairman said he’d pay to print my flyers, but I said no. Some people said they would send someone to help me personally, without needing any payment, and I said thank you, No. Just give me ten men. I don’t know what they’re going to do. All I have to do is buy them lunch every day, $70 for one lunch, $700 for ten lunch boxes. I did it. I won! Why did I get elected? Because they don’t know me, I said I was a zero. Although my competitor had been a magistrate for 12 years, and everyone knows him, what do they know of him? They only know that he drinks all the time. Even the guy next door told me that the magistrate drinks all the time, late into the night; so, he scored a minus. I’m a zero, he’s a negative. Does he have an advantage? On the night of the ticket, before the votes were counted, he set off firecrackers and invited guests to table 15. In the middle of the party, they tell him, “You’re gonna lose it, and we’re gonna win by 70 or 80 votes.” The next morning, I heard that they had a quick meal and then split up. Later, someone told me, “it’s strange, you have been elected as chief.” I said, thank you. He said, but why did he set off firecrackers? I said maybe he thought he won the election. Many villagers want to buy firecrackers for me, I said no, if you wish to support me, by all means applaud by clapping, but don’t set off firecrackers, pollute the environment, and make noise. I said, please don’t ever buy firecrackers. After they heard that, they stopped buying firecrackers. In fact, my opponent is still good, a three consecutive-term mayor. The first time he was elected was because he was young and his two competitors were an old man and a woman. He was re-elected and the only one to be re-elected. He’s been doing this for so long using his own power structure that it’s gonna be difficult to run against him. So, if I don’t do it, he will get re-elected. When I was elected, I served the people and the I Sound of the Underground the Community Development Association, not the best of the 38 communities in Puli, but at least the best of the rest. Maybe it’s because villagers saw my steady work and I was the only one who registered in the 21st election for governor. There was no one competing with me. I think if four or five of Puli’s 33 boroughs had chiefs like me, the whole ethos of the election, the philosophy of service, and behavior would change.

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Table 3 Functional classification of village (sub-district) chiefs In need of help

Dispute Resolution

Assist m applying for low and middle-income

The town hall of Chen Qing

household or cold-cleaning certificate

Chen Qing Peasant Association

Assist in calling the police

Association of farmers and water merchants

Assist in funeral arrangements

Complaints and works bureau

Compensation for agricultural losses

The Environmental Protection Agency

Assist in other matters Business assigned by the Town Hall

Write-off of funds

Noise mediation

Guided tour of community development

Neighbor dispute

Organize the riverbank watch team

Domestic dispute

Distribution of policy advocacy sheets

Land dispute

Distribution of household goods

Other disputes

Other hand-over services

The Wedding Weddings and funerals

Appeal business

Cancellation violation Speeding ticket

Funeral service

A DUI ticket

Temp le celebrations

As head of the table

National Assembly

Other activities

Leisure and cultural activities

Cleaning and disinfection of internal environment Electoral Assistance (at the polls, on the p1atform)

2.2 Duties of the Village (Sub-District) Chief Statutory Duties According to the “local system law,” the village (sub-district) chief is under the command and supervision of the township and Urban District Chief, and handles the business of the village, the matters decided by the Village People’s Congress, and the matters assigned by the higher-level government, such as the township and

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urban public office. The village (sub-district) chief plays five main political roles: he is as an advocate of decrees (such as assisting in the issuance of policy decrees); he is a reflector of public opinions (i.e., reflecting the opinions of the villagers at the grassroots level); he is the communicator of opinions (acts a bridge between the government and the people); he is a mediator of disputes (such as disputes among villagers); he is the elector of elections (such as the Elector of a particular political party or candidate). From interviews with several village (sub-district) chiefs, clearly, their main functions involve urgent dispute resolution, attending to marriages and funerals attendance, petition business, and visiting the town office to hand over business, consumer order violations, and others (see Table 3). The statutory functions are mainly focused on emergency assistance, petition business, going to the town office to hand over the business, and so on. A village leader performs a hundred tasks!7 A few of the duties mentioned can be easily sorted out, but from the information pamphlet we receive, I see that there are lots of things that need to be done. I did a search and found that some of the things to be done are stuff you are not even aware of; I’m going to read you one, According to Meteorological law, “To carry out meteorological observation operations, one must enter private or public land or water surface, together with the local village (sub-district) chief and show proof. I just checked. You guys have a lot to do, and that’s not the only thing that’s weird. It is also on page 30 of the law on the protection of the rights and interests of persons with disabilities that the chief of a village (sub-district) shall immediately notify the competent authority of the municipality directly under the competent administrative authorities if any ill-treatment of such persons is brought to their notice. This should be done within 24 hours of receiving information. Many strange laws: you need to check even the mass rapid transit business. As per the “Mass Rapid Transit Law,” I went to check the mass rapid transit and do a survey but also took the local village (sub-district) chief for the survey. I checked many, at least more than 100, items; you use the statute search “village (sub-district) chief,” these three words, and are required to do a hundred things. Life in Aborigine village is difficult. Whether it is the typhoon season or any other, we are the first to come out to rescue, report the disaster, and record the damage caused and send photos to the district public record. After the storm has passed, we mobilize volunteers to clean up the place. Especially in the typhoon season, whenever the villagers are in any difficult situation, we go to reconnaissance whether the rural roads allow villagers easy access to their farmland because farming can be dangerous, especially during a typhoon or after a storm, as there may be a cave-in; when such things happen, the villagers all look toward the village chief for help as it is impossible for them to find a representative at that time. So, I have been telling our township chief that the work of the village head is in no way inferior to that of the village representative. If the village head has to work so hard, what are the representatives doing? However, our welfare activities are quite different from theirs; they don’t have meetings every day. We’re on 365 days, 24 hours a day, working harder than 7-eleven Convenience Store.8 Plus, there’s the IRS. Before the strong winds damage the houses, we need the village (sub-district) chief to write a certificate. Later, if it is found wrong, as per the “Public Service Law,” we are punished and deemed to profit for signing fake documents, this is intolerable!

The Needs of the People Although the duties and responsibilities of the village (sub-district) chiefs have relatively clear stipulations and contents, for the village (sub-district) chiefs who are

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highly involved in the life of the Li people, in addition to the “actions prescribed” by the government, the chiefs must also act as per the needs of the people. Many of the village chiefs interviewed believed that in addition to the work of the village chief, “lights, road leveling, water, communication,” and so on come under their purview. They say, if dog excrement comes under the village (sub-district) chief’s purview so does bird excrement! When a person loses his shoe on an open ground, the matter becomes the village (sub-district) chief’s concern and he is asked to retrieve it (it was in fact, carried away by the dog in the farmer’s house). If late at night thieves commit a theft, the first reaction of the people is not to go to the police station, but to find the village (sub-district) chief. The demands of the Li people are, to some extent, “excessive” or “inappropriate,” but the Li director must respond in a timely manner, else the Li people would want the chief to be removed. Civil servants and other public servants work the regular nine-to-five working hours. However, for the village (sub-district) chief, there is no concept of rest, not even once in two years. As the guardian of the grassroots society, the village (subdistrict) leader silently deals with the big and small things that happen, especially during the new year, when something or the other happens in the village (sub-district). If a phone call is made to the public affairs department, the only reply is, “It’s after hours now, I’m sorry!” Many dedicated village (or village) chiefs let their children and family members take advantage of the spring festival holiday to go on a trip and enjoy themselves while they stick it out on their own to deal with whatever happens in the village. On New Year’s Eve, the first day of the New Year, and the second day of the New Year, some of the chiefs have to go to the funeral home to dispose of a body. A village chief said, “The chief is chosen on the basis of votes, and his duties are unlimited, because you voted for him, he will serve you for four years. Whether it is preparing for a storm, waiting to receive disaster relief, or inform about a disaster situation, or you meet with an accident, the only thing people know is to ask the village chief for help. Serves you right, doesn’t it? You have to do it.” 24/7 nannies9 Chen Zhaowei, the sub-district chief of the southern men of Puli, is seeking re-election for a second term because there are old and new communities and a third market under his jurisdiction. He often encounters often bizarre cases while serving the people. He says the sub-district people come to him for help, even if a house has bird droppings on it. Chen Zhaowei says, when you are a chief, whether it is human affairs, dog affairs, or bird affairs, you need to deal with all with the same attention. Although the population of Nanmen is not the largest in Puli, because of the existence of a third market, the old community coexists with the new business circle, and strange incidents often occur. A few days ago, a small dog crashed and curled up in the corner of a people’s storefront; passersby were at a loss and worried about her safety. Chen was called to the scene immediately. Fortunately, he had established enough contacts in his daily life. He immediately contacted Miss Huang of the Nantou County Animal Care Association, who promised to deal with the situation. Miraculously, at her call, the dog jumped and climbed on a motorcycle, all healed. A few years back, a family made a petition to Chen Zhaowei. A large number of swallows were gathered on the utility poles at Chen Zhaowei’s door, resulting in a large amount of bird

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droppings that soiled the entrance to the rooftop. Chen Zhaowei, through a friend, inquired at the Center for Conservation and Research on Endemic Biology, determined that these were migrant swallows using it just a temporary resting place in winter; Chen Zhaowei help in driving them away, and, sure enough, the next winter, the swallows did not come. The third market is often filled with old women pushing carts and selling mochi and vegetables. They occupy the road, causing heavy traffic blocks. It is the duty of the police to ban these road bullies. The vendors immediately contacted Chen Zhaowei, who worked with the police to persuade the vendors and, finally, the old women were restrained. Chen said he was often asked why he chose to become local magistrate who had to work hard and deal even with trivial matters. He replied that his father had been the chief magistrate of the south men and, hence, he had always felt a sense of responsibility to the people and hoped that the community would become increasingly better; therefore, he decided to shoulder the responsibility.

Custom Demands Most of the village (sub-district) society in Taiwan is an “acquaintance society.” In an acquaintance society, the village chief, as a member of the community, should observe and model the local customs and practices. For example, they should actively help in the marriages and funerals of Li people and based on the closeness of the different relationships, send appropriate gifts, and actively participate in the village (sub-district) temple activities by playing an important role. An inescapable economic pressure on the village (sub-district) chief is the red and white wedding gifts. Although each village (sub-district) leader receives around 45,000 NT dollars per month in business subsidies, after deducting the cost of printing materials (NT $500 per month for the Civil Affairs Department), the cost of the local governor’s fellowship (NT $1,000 per month), and the allowances for local officials (NT $2,000 per month), the remaining amount is only NT $41,500 NT. Many village (sub-district) chiefs say that the 41,500 NT in transaction subsidies would not even cover the red envelopes. The village (sub-district) chief’s presence and help are required as per local custom in marriages and funerals of the Li people, especially in funerals because death can occur at any time without warning, and the first call is made to the village chief. When the village (sub-district) chief receives such information, his first job is to meet the people and help them deal with the funeral. Even if there are no neighbors to help, or business grants, the village (sub-district) chief does not hesitate to visit the family for helping with the funeral and requesting the neighbors around to help. Religious beliefs prevail in Taiwan; Nantou County and Puli are no exception. Of 84 temples, Puli has 33, with an average of 2–3 in each village. Of these, Fuxing li has the most (8), followed by Guangcheng li (6). In many villages, the village (sub-district) chief is the chairman or chief executive or “table head”10 of the temple. If the income does not cover the expenditure, why does the village (sub-district) chief accept the job?11 Actually, we don’t expect much. The 45,000 NT affairs grant is to help promote the township, town, and municipal transaction costs. Is the mayor likely to provide a cash gift for the village

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(sub-district) chief to cover people’s funeral and wedding? If 45,000 NT cannot cover the activity costs even after deducting some red and white posts, and activities of village public affairs cannot be conducte, why do we have to do so? It is because, we have a sense of honor, some social standing. As the village (sub-district) chief, we need to respond to the needs of the people as soon as possible although at times, the response can be delayed. However, I think of our villagers as brothers and sisters, and when they make a phone call, even if in the middle of the night, I would go be with them. It is not that presidents and these cadres like to be in this position, because we have achieved comparatively miserable results, is it not? It’s a matter of institutions, of fairness. Isn’t our Cai Yingwen about fairness and justice now? Where is fairness and justice? Usually, after five terms, a chief receive a 10 months’ severance pay, but now there’s nothing, but a lot of people are still saying, Chief, you’ve been appointed to seven terms, you’ll get 18% as severance pay.12 I said: “What 18%?” We do not get even a dime, sometimes cannot wrap the New Year red envelope, no red purse envelope, why? There are so many weddings and funerals. At the beginning of my election campaign, the financial aid was 3,000 yuan. On a good day, the red envelope was spent in one day! For others, we have to pay out of our own pockets; we are willing, no complaints, but we want fairness. Why is the village (sub-district) chief treated so lowly that even the assistant will have the year-end bonus of the elected representatives? Worst, I heard that the village chief in Taitung County, who was buried by a landslide in his business this year, was issued only 80,000 NT dollars.

2.3 Establishment and Functions of the Village (Sub-District) Officer The Setup of the Village (Sub-District) Officer Limited by the age of the Nantou County village (sub-district) chief, whose education level was not too high, and neither did he possess skills for using the computer, for official document writing, and for filling out various application forms, his performance at work had been affected. To make up for this shortcoming, the Nantou County Government formulated “Key points for service implementation of the Nantou County Government’s village (sub-district) officer.” In accordance with the principle of one village (sub-district), one officer, the village (sub-district) officer was provided a work assistant. Based on the number of households in a village (sub-district), the size of the area, traffic conditions, business complexity, and so on, which vary greatly, the township (town, City) mayor can coordinate appropriate deployment, or appoint someone from the adjacent village (sub-district) to concurrently work for both villages. The selection of village (sub-district) officer shall be determined by the township head, and the daily work shall be supervised by the head of the civil affairs section of the township public office. In the implementation of the office of each unit business, under the guidance of the relevant units in charge, he will assist the village (sub-district) director in the village (sub-district) related official business. According to the Nantou County Government’s regulations regarding the service implementation of the village (sub-district) officer, he has to complete roughly

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ten tasks. One, implement the executive order to reflect public opinion. Second, implement village (sub-district) cultural and recreational activities. Third, assist in the investigation and notification of social assistance, children, juveniles, women, persons with disabilities, older adults, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, high-risk families, vulnerable families, welfare services, and other matters relating to the improvement of living environment and enhancement of people’s wellbeing. Fourth, to fill the various application forms and process village (sub-district) office certification matters. Fifth, to distribute the relevant military service notice, collect orders, and handle survey of male conscripts and military service information. Sixth, to attend the village (sub-district) for regular meetings, strengthen the convening of the neighborhood council, and maintain detailed records for reference. Seventh, to assist in the electoral affairs of various public officials. Eighth, to assist in the housing tax, land value tax invoice, comprehensive income tax counseling, and other work. Ninth, to handle the village work of preparing reports to the various administrative services. For other assigned tasks, such as temporary co-ordination of support work, his work falls within the scope of responsibility of each unit of the office based on major or urgent or temporary needs of the village. The RRBofficer should assist in matter only after the signed approval of the township (town, City) mayor, with designated tasks included. Moreover, village (sub-district) officers should visit low-income households and older adults living alone on the government register at least once every six months, and record visits in the case of special deeds or major disasters, and publish it in the work on the comprehensive record book tube tracking. Simultaneously, the township public office shall hold a report of the work meeting of village (sub-district) officers at least once every three months, which shall be presided over by the township head. If the township head is unable to preside for any reason, the chief secretary or the head of Civil Affairs Department shall act as the presiding officer, and the directors of each unit of the public office may be invited to be on the non-voting panel. Why do people like to be the village (sub-district) officer?13 These village (sub-district) officer are in fact quite idle. Why is everyone in charge? The stewards spend half the day in the public office and work only five days in the afternoon. Whether there are 14 or 15 officers in the township public office, the rotation happens only once a week, only once in an afternoon. Three of them, one at a table. It’s only once a week, so you don’t have to work in the afternoon, and you don’t have to go out of town to serve. The director of the Nantou City public office has to go to remote villages to serve; sometimes, he has to come here to serve, as you have things to be done. The local officer has to work only a few hours, but he can also make much money; hence, everybody wants to be a local officer. The subsidy for one Li is NT $2,000. If he helps three Li long, he will earn NT $6,000 more per person. Whether the service population is low or high, the subsidy remains 2000 Yuan; hence, the officer would like to work with a small population.

The Role of the Village (Sub-District) Officer The helper of the village chief. By office system design, the primary task of the village (sub-district) officer is to assist the village (sub-district) director to complete

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the implementation of the decree. Although the village (sub-district) chief lays the foundation for good public opinion, he may be limited by lack of skills and ability, and hence, needs the village (in) officer to assist him in completing his tasks. Only with the assistance of the village (sub-district) officer can the decree be carried out smoothly and the villagers (sub-district) can benefit from all the public services provided by the local government. At the same time, the village (sub-district) officer, with his better understanding of the village (sub-district) problems, can make relevant policies more flexible for better use of the village (sub-district) people. This help is beneficial for the village (sub-district) chief not only because it enhances the perception about village (sub-district) chief but also stabilizes and increase the chances for re-election of the village (sub-district) chief. A communicator between superiors and inferiors. The village (sub-district) officer is a permanent civil and formal civil service, and the township office of the internal departments of personnel are relatively familiar with the relevant policy understanding. Unlike village chiefs, who may not be re-elected once their four-year terms are up, the new chief is often unfamiliar with the intricacies of village affairs, especially procedures. Therefore, for the village (sub-district) officer to do a good job, the village (sub-district) officer must be a good communicator between village (sub-district) director and the township public office related departments to enhance understanding about and application of the relevant policies. A person who gives feedback about public opinion in a village (sub-district). In accordance with the provisions of the Nantou County Government regarding the service implementation points of the village (sub-district) officers, the village (subdistrict) officers are required to go to the village (sub-district) every day during the prescribed working hours. They find it easier to listen to the voices of the village (sub-district) in the process of assisting the village (sub-district) in dealing with related matters. Timely feedback about the voice of commoners, their opinions, and demands can be conveyed to the relevant persons in charge of the township public offices, or even to the relevant departments at higher levels, which will not only help in timely resolution of conflicts but also stabilize the grassroots society and help the village (sub-district) people have a better evaluation of the grassroots government, and even promote the identity of village (sub-district) in the government. A mediator in a conflict between people in a village (sub-district). As the “natural authority” within the village (sub-district), the village(sub-district) mayor is good at resolving contradictions among the villagers (sub-district), especially intra-family conflicts. However, in recent years, due to the involvement of many village (subdistrict) leaders in local politics, the village officer is more involved in mediation of village (sub-district) conflicts. As a neutral person, the village (sub-district) officer can be a good conflict mediator since village (sub-district) officials are civil servants who have undergone the rigorous “college entrance examination” (the local term for the civil service exam is “college entrance examination”), and their grasp of legal knowledge (especially civil law and law of preventing domestic violence) is more systematic than that of the village (sub-district) mayor and village (sub-district) people, and thus more convincing, more targeted, and more effective.

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The Relationship Between the Village (Sub-District) Officer and the Village (Sub-District) Leader Cooperative type. From the system design of the “village (sub-district) officer,” a cooperative relationship between the village (sub-district) officer and the village (subdistrict) leader is the most ideal state, effectively making up for the shortcomings of the village (sub-district) officer, and better for the village (sub-district) people, the Nantou County Government, and Puli Town Office in terms of implementing the relevant policies in the village. The collaboration of these two people forms a “1 + 1 > 2” effect. The sub-district leader let me visit the mainland without delay to serve the people.14 I remember the year before last when I went to visit Ningbo in the mainland and got a line from villagers saying that one of the streetlights had gone out. Then the neighbor called me to explain the situation saying that the main reason for this is corrosion. I immediately contacted the officer, briefly explained the situation to him and advised him on how to deal with it. I asked him to contact his neighbor as soon as the actual situation was clear and file an official document. I told him to then send the document to the engineer in the public works section. After serving three terms as governor, I am familiar with this aspect and the relevant personnel of the public works class is also familiar. As soon as the clerk cleared up the situation, wrote the official document and sent it away, I urged him to keep track of it and try to deal with it in the shortest possible time, for everyone was concerned about the matter. I told him to call me if anything happens. I said I’ll take care of it. I remember from the time I discovered the problem, sent the official document, and it arrived 10 days after processing. I finished the job two days after I came back from Ningbo. So, this became front-page news in Dapu. They spoke about how the village chief contacted the line quickly and the whole job was handled in 10 days. Nine days, give or take. However, other newly appointed sheriffs have not been so lucky. A lot of it depends on the director, how he deals with things, whether he has the knowhow, and whether the assistant has a good relationship with the director.

Competitive type. In the beginning stages of the implementation of the “Village (sub-district) officer” system, many village (sub-district) officers worked long hours in the village (sub-district) and considered the feelings and concerns of the people in the village (sub-district), particularly villages in which the village (sub-district) officer’s home was located and where he was qualified to participate in the village (sub-district) long election. To this end, in the quadrennial village (sub-district) chief election, the village (sub-district) officer’s assistance become the competitor of the village head. Generally speaking, these village (sub-district) officer’s assistance pay special attention to the village (sub-district) affairs, with the intention of accumulating their own network resources. Irrelevant type. In view of a number of relatively young village (sub-district) chiefs, the village (sub-district) officer system did help the older village (sub-district) chiefs handle the tedious paperwork when it was first introduced, and when the village (sub-district) chiefs mastered these jobs, they said, you don’t need the help of the village (sub-district) officer. In particular, the village (sub-district) officer’s allowance is deducted from the village (sub-district) director’s allowance. However, after the

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implementation of this system, it became difficult to change the system considering the inertia and the system continued as before. “Redundant” stewards15 As a civil servant, the district officer has his own work in the town hall and has his own office; since he is also a district officer, he needs to visit the district every day to assist the district chief to resolve problems. Here, because of all the official documents, procedures, etc., with which he is familiar, he is able to deal with them. If there are any potholes, as village (sub-district) chief, I’ll take a picture because I have to do the paperwork. In fact, I can print my own official documents. Earlier, I could ask the village (sub-district) officer to do this. So, I take the picture and send him the paperwork. Since I am now doing all the work, the stewards of our department seldom come to me. As I mentioned earlier, a village (sub-district) chief in the long is 80 years old, has no knowledge of computers, must rely on the secretary. That’s why he goes to the police for everything, to make his rounds. Here, if the director does not come, we do the patrol. If the streetlights are not on, I will report directly to the streetlamp repair boss (locals call the professionals as boss, as a mark of respect). I don’t even have to register a complaint. I just call him at work at 8:00 in the morning and say, “So-and-so, we don’t have a light on telephone pole number so and so here.” He comes and repairs it when he has time. The reason we don’t need a secretary here is because I don’t need one, let alone need allowance money to give him a subsidy. Of course, there’s a difference of opinion about stewards. I don’t think the position is necessary, but I’m sure some people do. Whether it is really necessary or not, there are two objective facts that cannot be ignored. One is that the local officers work normal hours, Monday to Friday afternoon; Saturday and Sunday they are off work and may not pick up the phone, while our working hours as long as 7- eleven convenience store; Second, the usual thing is for the director to use official documents, or call it “official business” and our work is more dependent on human interactions. People tell me a lot of things in private. Therefore, when the governor not only does official business but also considers human feelings, his relationship with the people becomes close. However, between the people and the secretary, there is a natural sense of distance. Owing to this, the officer in charge of our department, who often used to visit village leader’s homes now does not; neither does he have to go to the office to work. All he has to do is to speak about rural services to his supervisor and then he was free to go home.

3 Political Relations Among Village (Sub-District) Leaders 3.1 Political Relationship Between the Village (Sub-District) Chief and the Local Administration Township Mayor and the Village Chief (Sub-District) In accordance with the “Local system law” provisions, the village (sub-district) director has to accept the guidance of the township head. As the local head of a township, the township head controls a considerable amount of administrative resources. In addition to policy-mandated resources, there is room for discretion. For this, the

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village (sub-district) chief needs to have a positive relationship with the township head. As a local official in the competent executive authorities district said frankly, “Once, the mayor came to our town to hold a town hall meeting in the hope that the town people would have a good evaluation of the mayor’s administration. I actively contacted villagers and the neighborhood chief, and originally planned a meeting of 50 people, but more than 70 turned up, and the mayor was happy. While briefing was short, the mayor had specially prepared for everyone a little ‘advocacy’ rice storage bucket, very practical and of good quality. The participants were very happy. Naturally, I have a better relationship with the mayor.” Besides strengthening contact with the mayor through work, formal dinners are also held, such as a monthly fraternity, in which the mayor will participate. According to the regulations of Puli Town Hall, the mayor of Puli Town would set aside NT $1,000 per person per month to prepare for the party. Although it cost NT $1,000 a month, many local leaders think it is worth it to use the informal occasion to communicate face-to-face with the mayor and deepen their relationship with him. At the same time, if the (sub-district) mayor and township mayor are of the same party, the relationship between these two has a “congenital advantage.” Perfect mother’s day requires “Wisdom”16 Last Mother’s Day, we had a celebration. I submitted a plan of activities to the township office and a copy to the County Council Pan Yi, Deputy Speaker. The county manager saw the copy of the list and asked me, “So, you want to conduct Mother’s Day activities?” I said, Yes. “Then we’ll send you towels or soaps.” I said, “Look carefully, a copy is marked for Deputy Speaker Pan, who is co-sponsoring this. Talk to the class president with me.” The head of the class asked me, “What do you need?” I said, “With Deputy Speaker Pan, at least ask the director to take a look at it. The director said, “I have 120 pots here, I just asked the caterer whether the pots can be delivered. That’s a nice pan. It’s about NT $200-300 apiece. He said I have 119 pieces. What are you gonna do? We can’t deliver it for you.” I said I’d pick them up in a minute. My wife and I picked up 119 gifts. People were happy to participate in the event and appreciated the special practical gift. I didn’t spend a penny. I spent money on gas. How nice. In such a situation, some magistrates may not personally carry gifts, considering it too much trouble; others will not be clever enough to leverage the situation.

The Village (Prefecture) Chief and the County Chief The county chief is elected by the people of the county and is supposed to serve the people of the county. Since the village (sub-district) is part of the county, the county magistrate should naturally serve as its voice. However, in the 13 townships served by the county chief, with a population of one hundred thousand, the chief is too busy to respond to every county’s direct request in a timely manner. The village (sub-district) chief may contact the county chief directly or make his own appeal through other official or unofficial channels. County time. From August 2017 to June 2018, Nantou County Magistrate Lin Mingzhen held a total of 10 “County Time” sessions to listen to the voices of and resolve the difficulties of the county people. Considering the large size of Nantou

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County and to save county people’s time, judging from the locations where the “County People’s time” was organized ten times, in addition to the arrangement in the county government, these sessions were also located in Xinyi Township, Shui Li Township, Fish-Pond Township, Jiji Township, and Guoxing Township. During “County Time,” the governor can freely communicate with the county magistrate face to face. Resident Officer. To serve the local area and respond to the needs of the county residents more quickly, Lin Mingzhen County chief employs five resident district directors in 13 townships of Nantou County by employing contracted personnel, for example, the resident officer in Puli is MS Suet-fan Lam (formerly the president of the Puli Farmers’ Association). In Puli, a considerable proportion of the village chiefs are members of the Farmers’ Association. They are familiar with Lin Xuefen. If they need to report any matter to Lin Mingzhen, they can convey it through the resident district director on their behalf or ask the resident director if they can contact the county magistrate directly and communicate with him. However, as the resident district director usually takes the place of the county magistrate to participate in public memorial activities, he is “bombarded” by county councilors, Lin Yonghong and Chen Shuhui. The resident directors, in fact, attend weddings, funerals, festivals, and other activities for the county magistrate. When they attend public ceremonies, they also act as the chief priest, leaving the other bureau chiefs present behind, undermining the civil service system. If the resident director’s only job is to participate in functions, the job becomes optional, and the county government should abolish the position, save money, and the director of the local household administration can do the same job.17 “Underground” resident director. As the county magistrate’s agent at the grassroots level, the resident district director plays an important role in contacting the county magistrate. In the actual operation process, in addition to the official resident director, there is an “underground” resident director, as the resident director does not need to replace the county magistrate’s red and white tie, and the focus is to maintain contact with the county magistrate. According to the information provided by the interviewee, the speed with which the “underground” resident director contacts the county chief is much faster than that of the resident director. Many who hope to contact the county magistrate in time seek the “Underground” resident director’s assistance. Resident Officer18 The Resident Officer’s choice is not simply appointed by the county magistrate. First, he needs to win the election, and then the county government establishes him through contract employment. I heard that the monthly salary of the district director is about NT $40,000. The resident director’s duties are also relatively simple, mainly to convey the instructions of the county magistrate, or to help others get in touch with the county magistrate, as well as bear the name of the county magistrate’s vest in place of the county magistrate to run some red and white placards in a public memorial or a marriage ceremony. Ordinary people cannot directly approach the county magistrate. Through the resident director, they can establish contact with the county magistrate faster. Like director Lin Xuefen, now a farm director, who was the President of the Puli Peasant Association, then ran for governor, but failed. Director Lin, as resident director, on the one hand served as president of the Township Farmers Association

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and had accumulated network resources and on the other had acquired higher education. In fact, there is also an “underground” district director; if you want to express your views to the county magistrate, doing it through the underground district director is faster. These two men have worked with the county magistrate closely before, especially during the election. They played an important role in the county magistrate’s auxiliary election, and the county magistrate would naturally give them a seat when he was elected. Two “resident directors” who I know feel that the “underground resident director” does not like public appearances, and hence, I had to find him secretly. Later, I got to know him.

Between Village (Sub-District) Mayors The Governor’s Party. To strengthen the communication and connection between the village (sub-district) chiefs, the 33 chiefs of Puli formed a village (sub-district) chiefs fellowship. As a social organization with a president, director-general and many members, the RCC holds regular events that greatly enhance the ties between the village (RCC) chiefs. From the feedback of the several local leaders interviewed, they all felt that by joining the local leaders club, not only were personal feelings enhanced among the local leaders, but also interaction and sharing increased. The clear geographical space between the villages (sub-districts) make the people in them different. When people in a village (sub-district) need help, they first contact others in their own village (sub-district) leader, but sometimes, when they are geographically close or adjacent to another village, they may seek the help of the other village (sub-district) leader to help them. However, the village (sub-district) chief who receives the call for help will contact the village (sub-district) own village chief on his own initiative, explain the situation, and only after obtaining the consent of the other village chief can he assist in handling the matter, otherwise the matter will spread to other villages (in) and affect the village (sub-district) chiefs’ harmonious relations. To the other sheriffs19 I’ve always believed that whatever party it is, it’s more about doing things. It is not clear to me which of the Li people is part of the DPP and which is part of the KMT. Maybe a little, but not necessarily an accurate understanding of who is what. It makes no difference to me. My job is to serve them. I have to take care of the business. As my role involves helping those who come to me seeking advice or assistance, which includes many people from out of town. If someone requires “immediate care,” or has an “emergency or becomes injured, is unable to work temporarily or the doctor has recommended two months of rest, then the person is eligible for $10,000 as compensation. People don’t know about this, so we’ll do what we can. I’ve been working on four or five such cases lately, and they’re all people from the outside, not from here. Since they believe that I know quite a bit, they ask me to help them. I ask them, “Why don’t you call your own village chief?” They say, our village chief is useless. You are familiar with the mayor and the administrative staff of the town hall, and you are willing and able to take care of it. In this case, I must inform to their magistrate before I help him. After I directly contact their chief, briefing him about the matter, if he agrees, I will help them. I’m not gonna help you deal with it if the sheriff won’t let me. This is to respect the delicate relationship among the village (sub-district) longs. Of course, the main reason I am willing to intervene in other villages (sub-district) people’s affairs is because of my personal ability, enthusiasm, and the

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need for political wisdom, to develop the spirit of a “Mother Hen.” The “hen,” I understand, loves to be in charge and is warm-hearted, keeping all her brood safe. For example, I started in primary school as squad leader, then assumed different positions in junior high, high school, and in the army. My wife says, I am a “hen.”

3.2 Political Relationship Between the Village (Sub-District) Chief and the Representatives of Public Opinion The Village (Sub-District) Chief and the Representative of the Town People The township representative’s duty is to supervise the administration of the township public office and give feedback on public opinion. The support fund of NT $800,000 per year from the representatives of villages and towns has become an important medium for shaping people’s “perceptions.” According to many of the long, the small project budget of the town office each year is limited to support the upkeep of roads, ditches, streetlights, and to support the representatives in matters of township processing. Therefore, if the village (sub-district) chief asks the township public office for money, the township mayor will also say that funds are insufficient. Therefore, the township head has to establish a more stable and friendly relationship with the township representatives. Is it a necessary path, or an unnecessary detour?20 As the village chief, I found a ditch that was broken and needed to be fixed. I wrote up a plan and asked the mayor. That’s right. In fact, the town hall gave all the money... to our town representative in Puli... and he just didn’t say, “You’ll have to ask the town representative.” We didn’t know this rule when we started as village chiefs, so we used to go straight to the mayor. Turns out, one of the townsfolk has $800,000 in construction money. I think he and the representative have been talking about it behind the mayor’s back. But the town representative cannot spend it. If his district covers seven or eight miles, he has to deal with applications for seven or eight miles. If I want a project of about $100,000 to fix a ditch, I’ll talk to the town representative. Under normal circumstances, if he is not surprised, he will sanction the money because for some of his work, he requires our cooperation. Even if I get the $100,000, I have to follow the procedure. Honestly, 100,000, 200,000 from a town representative, that’s good. If the village chief has friendly relations with the town representative, he can get project money. Therefore, after being elected village head, the first step is to bond with these town representatives and county councilors. All I’ve learned so far is how to build relations with these people. Sometimes, I am quite confused. As a magistrate, I originally belong to the town hall. I should go directly to the mayor or the town hall if I have any questions. But the reality is, I need to go to the public opinion representative, such as town representatives and county councilors. The main task of the public opinion representatives is to supervise the government, but now it has become a “necessary step” for the local leaders to communicate with the government. Do you think it is “taking unnecessary detours?” We, as the local leaders, have no alternative but to stick to this “routine.” For example, I received project funds from a certain representative

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of the people to implement a project. So long as they come to us, we will definitely kiss up and say that this was done by a certain congressman and a certain representative of a certain town. In fact, this is not their money; it belongs to the town office or the county government. However, the villagers do not know these details and if they do, it may affect the future of the representatives in the ballot. Even I have a year to get used to it.

The Village (Sub-District) Chief and the County Councilor The relationship between the county council and the county government is delicate, in which the cooperation of the county council members is a key factor. Like most other heads of prefectures and cities on the island, Nantou County heads generally “take what they can get” for the sake of harmony in the government and for smooth administration. However, since the disbursement of the funds is ultimately agreed to by the head, the quality of the relationship between members of parliament and the head often determines whether the funds can be used or not. To this end, the governor has to find the right county councilors to help him successfully solve the construction problems. Nantou County’s senior legislator, Hui ah-gump, recalled that, “There was a case in the past where a senator’s proposal was constantly challenged by the then county magistrate and repeatedly rejected on the grounds that it was not in the public interest, and then the same case was raised by Senator B and immediately passed. Later, the head of the county council who fought for the construction revealed to her that because Congressman A and the head of the county did not meet face-to-face and often went head-to-head in parliament, some people suggested that if they wanted to fight for the construction, they should go to Congressman B.” Another county council member recalled, “He, one year, a community development association in his constituency was going to hold a party and asked him to come up with some matching funds, but at that time he was running out of matching funds, plus he realized that the association did not back him, and hence, he did not agree to the funding. When he ran for re-election, the neighborhood wouldn’t let his campaign team in to send or post campaign messages.”21 About the county councilman and the Chief of village22 The mayor’s ability to secure resources depends on his connections. Depending on what level you reach, some will go to the town representative, some will go to the county councilor, some will go to the Deputy Speaker of the county council, some will go to the “Taiwan legislator,” so there some way things can be done. Like, every county councilor has a quota of 5 million a year, which is a good thing because you may need the money to pave roads, build ditches, or for some work in your rural area this year. If he gives you 1 million a year, the million dollars is basically his call. After the county council member’s application is approved, the county government will make the design, prepare the budget and so on, direct it to the public department to execute, or to the town or the county government for implementation. The village chief can’t get $1 million to do things as per his wish. He needs a bid. However, under 100,000 yuan, no public bidding is needed, for example, to purchase some software, the mayor can buy from whoever he chooses to. If you need to get pipelines fixed, or any other job done, you need to have good relations with all. The village chief has to go to the town representative. You ask him for $1 million, he says I don’t have it, I’ll give you $300,000. Maybe later. He can’t give you a million dollars

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at a time. But $5 million could go in multiple directions. Sometimes it’s $300,000 for this, $300,000 for that, $300,000 for that, and you owe it to three people. It’s not ideal, but at least we can do something for Richmond. The representatives of public opinion supported the mayor financially. Does it make sense for you not to support him in the election? If you understand that logic, you understand the politics of today. Like, now elections are coming, Lin County magistrate has the resources, and he hopes to come to the countryside as far as possible. One way may be is to spend around 2 million or so. As long as the governor needs it, money is easy to get. Additionally, Caotun’s mayor, Hong Guohao, is now preparing to run for the Nantou County seat. Cai Yingwen and Lai Qingde have all come to assist him in the election, and hence, Hong Guohao has a lot of resources. He wants us to ask him for funds; in fact, he wants us to get him the votes. For public opinion representatives to support the village (sub-district) construction, the village chief should also reciprocate by supporting them in the election, but in terms of profiting, it may not be fair to do so because the ultimate victim would be the taxpayers. I once applied to a county councilor for NT $300,000 for the construction of a ditch. In the course of construction, I wanted to straighten out the ditch and remove a telephone pole. When I asked the construction boss, he said, but the previous boss did not tell him to do so. I asked, Who’s your boss? He said his boss had subcontracted the deal to him, and he had charged him 180,000. So, from $300,000, where’s the other $120,000? I don’t know. There is something wrong, it involves 180 grand. Then, I realized that the first contractor had the invoices ready to receive payment from the government. After the subcontracting, the contractor didn’t have to provide an invoice, so he only got $180,000. Let’s say I’m a pack of businessmen, and I don’t even have to have a worker, I just do the invoices, and I make $120,000. Anyway, I just care about the quality of the gutters I’m applying for.

The Village Chief and the Taiwan Legislator Legislators The legislators’ functions like a county councilor, examining budgets, proposing bills, and challenging executive heads; therefore, the relevant departments of Taiwan’s administrative organs will generally pay more attention to the relevant applications of legislators and handle them properly. In fact, the “Taiwan legislator,” like other representatives of public opinion, also has a quota, depending not only on the relationship between the village (sub-district) chief and him, but also on the specific content of the village (sub-district) chief’s application for construction, and then decide how to handle it. For example, the governor of a certain town in Puli was familiar with the former mayor of Puli, Ma Wenjun, a Kuomintang legislators. Through Ma Wenjun, he obtained NT $6 million in construction funds from the Bureau. After the Democratic Progressive Party came to power, it was difficult for the KMT legislator to get resources from the relevant departments of the competent executive authorities. The local governor then tried to get in touch with the DPP Taiwan legislator to see if we can get some resources from the DPP. The village chief and legislator23 After a few terms as the village chief, I learned that town representatives, county councilors, and competent legislative authorities were important candidates for resources. There are

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quotas for different levels of elected representatives. If you want a big project, you have to go to the Taiwan legislator. It turned out that when the Kuomintang was in power, they owned the whole system and invested a lot of money in rural construction. As long as the legislator is willing to help, he can help us get the resources. In our country, elected competent legislative authorities have tremendous influence; for instance, Ma Wenjun is the defense commissioner, and the “Secretary of Defense” is afraid of her cutting their budget. As long as Ma Wenjun doesn’t agree with their budget, their budget is in trouble. It’s the same thing. It’s all connected. Ma Wenjun served two terms as mayor of Puli. I know her pretty well. When we needed to build roads and ditches, I talked to her, and she helped me apply to the Water Conservancy Bureau. For three years of support, we received NT $2 million a year, which is NT $6 million in three years. Since the funds are not available in one go, they are allocated in batches as we evaluate them. At the time we were doing this, it was about NT $1.2 million and NT $1.3 million. Later, after the Democratic Progressive Party came into power, the influence of the Kuomintang’s legislators greatly weakened, and the influence of the DPP’s Legislators rapidly strengthened. Since I didn’t know Tsai Pei-hui, the competent legislative authorities of the DPP, I had no way to meet her except through Liao Zhicheng, a county councilor from our constituency who is a member of the DPP. Fortunately, I’ve been able to build the system and pave the path smoothly, because my party is “colorless.” To ensure that the large amount of funds are used appropriately, I often go to the construction site to supervise. I thought if I keep an eye on them, they will do a good job, or I would ensure it is done properly. For example, if the width of the iron bar is not accurate, it will affect the quality of the project. Indubitably, there may be reasons for shortcuts, such as they bid a small amount of money, but the quality of the project must be the most basic requirement. Owing to this, some people say that the governor is quite serious (good people say so) about his job and is here to supervise the project. However, some do not understand this, so opinions are polarized. Everyone thinks differently. We can’t help it. Let them think what they want. So those who support you will support you, those who do not support you will try their best to oppose you. There must be some who think I’m doing the right thing and that’s enough. No matter through which legislators, we won the funding, construction is their political achievement. When it comes to elections, their message boards write about where someone is, what they’re doing, how much they’re paying, and so on. That’s a lot of money for a campaign. Especially for the legislators, Puli is a pretty big ticket item. Whether they are members of the Kuomintang or the Democratic Progressive Party, they are always willing to help our local village chiefs.

3.3 Political Relationship Between the Village Chief and the Social Organizations The Village Chief and the Temple Organization In Taiwan, where religious culture prevails, traditional Chinese Buddhism, such as Mazu, has a particularly strong influence on local residents. Puli’s emphasis on religion can be seen in the more than 80 temples it has registered with the Civil Affairs

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Department. Many village (sub-district) leaders have served as their village (subdistrict) temple managers, such as chairman of the Committee, President, and other roles. By integrating into the management of the temple, the village (sub-district) chief can not only expand his personal resources through the temple platform, but also develop the construction of the village (sub-district) and even strive for certain welfare schemes for the villager (sub-district). For example, large-scale temples will establish a consortium of legal persons every year to carry out public welfare activities, activities that often require the village (sub-district) long to help. For the village (sub-district) long, not only can he win the village (sub-district) people’s praise, but also can expand his influence and even win the trust and support of the temple. The temple network24 During festivals, especially during the spring festival, temples conduct public welfare activities. In addition to content targeted at the general public, red envelopes will also be given to families in distress. In general, a village (sub-district) will arrange for 3 to 5 families to each receive Hongbao 2000 NT. As a temple will cover several miles, if it is 5 in 10,000, it becomes 3 in 30,000. These are small things for larger temples, but they become large expenses for smaller temples. To this end, our director will be careful in choosing the beneficiaries. For example, he needs to consider the aid or donations that poorer families have received in the recent past. Moreover, since some chiefs also serve as the director of the temple, chairman, chief executive, and so on, through effective operation of the temple, they will greatly expand their network and influence. Like Dajia Matsu, who is more influential than the Matsu in Puli, and can get hundreds of millions or even one billion people to worship. With such fame and influence, local governments and representatives of public opinion attach great importance to temple activities. Even if the chief of a village (sub-district) is the chairman of a temple, they will be able to obtain more resources.

The Village Chief and Social Organizations Taiwan has well-developed social organizations, and Nantou County, the only inland island, is no exception. In 2016, for example, 1,015 civil society organizations received funding support from the Nantou County Government, such as the Lions Clubs International in Puli and the Hong Dao Association of Temples in Puli. Many village (sub-district) long join community organizations based on their interests, such as the Nantou County Root Art Association, Shi Youhui, and so on. The formation of these associations, and their local economic status, cultural atmosphere, and interpersonal relations are closely related. In the view of Chen Zhaowei, a minister at the South Men, “Because people in the business district are busy, or they have to look after the shop, or they work as a landlord to collect money, these things are difficult to pursue, resulting in an indifferent relationship between people, and the percentage of Li people in the community is not too high.” However, for him, who is a member of the Nantou County Root Art Association and the Stone Club, discussions in the LINE group are limited to topics of common interest, not politics. Cai Yingwen’s recent reform of the military pension system, for example, would be damaging to the economic interests of individuals that it may be difficult to agree to such a reform,

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thus leading to confrontation between the blue and green groups. In general, the mayor may join such associations, but will not participate in political discussions, although he will use this platform to expand his social network. The “Blue” and “Green” of the National Salvation League25 The National Salvation League is an organization under the Kuomintang. It now mainly advocates youth literary and artistic activities, expands the organization of youth selfimprovement activities, promotes youth counseling and social services, handles skills training and emergency relief. The National Salvation League, as the youth organization of the Kuomintang, is supposed to be headed by “Blue” or even “Dark blue” men. But Liao, a DPP member, was once elected president. In the years he was in charge, Sound of the Underground was arranged better than any of the previous presidents. The Kuomintang has many members, including myself. I was an advisor to the NRF, and then I became an advisory board member. Owing to the “Blue” background, some of the “Dark blue” people came in all day to support Antonio Ng and Lin Mingzhen. Since both of them were members of the Kuomintang, they ran for mayor of Puli and magistrate of Nantou, respectively. Later, someone spread rumors that all the members of the National Salvation League are volunteers. Some people quit because I joined this, and if I was blue, the people who supported me would contradict me, and they quit. Some people like to politicize club activities, but it’s wiser not to. If you’re an art society, you are just that, an art society. The National Salvation League helps children organize activities. Then, why is politics involved here? Liao Zhicheng never talks about green, which is why he is the only DPP chairman of the National Salvation League in Taiwan Province. Later, many people in the National Salvation League said that although he was a DPP member, he never talked about color and was supportive and helpful to the association. Sometimes using a political party to discriminate against a person can kill a group. I try not to comment on the line in any of their groups, just to get the lay of the land. If a political party is opposed to each other, it is certainly not good for the development of the group. Moreover, several of our chiefs are members of the Democratic Progressive Party and the Kuomintang. If we consider them on that basis, the result will be no better.

Village Chiefs and Voluntary Charities The members of the village (sub-district) are committed to serving the village (sub-district). Some mayors and representatives of public opinion spontaneously co-sponsor the establishment of community organizations, with their own modest efforts to help the more needy. For example, MA Wen-Jun, legislator, the county councilors, and many local leaders jointly sponsored the merit and virtue association -LRB-callDo “Don’t ask my name (Taiwanesenese),” which was co-financed by members, to support families in need in the Puli area. The specific object of financial support shall be determined and declared by the chiefs of each district, and the Administrative Committee of the Merit Committee shall determine and issue financial support. Owing to the limited funds, the members of the Merit Society hope that the chiefs of each district will help the families in difficulty obtain “Immediate care,” “Emergency relief,” and apply for some subsidies from the Kuomintang and the Democratic Party, then use the money from the merit society to solve its urgent problems. With the virtue meeting running increasingly smooth, the chiefs

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not only won the Li people’s approval and appreciation, but also strengthened the communication and cohesion among members, or attracted other well-to-do people. “Don’t ask my name.”26 Ma wenjun, the county councilor, and some of our chiefs heard about aa car accident in which the victim was badly injured, and they wanted to help him in their spare capacity. We went to his house to interview him, and when we found out what happened, people who came along with us started donating, some 500, some 1,000. We could probably raise 80,000 bucks at a time. As per the sheriff’s request, we planned to send the money to the family after verifying their need. Depending on the severity of the case, the grant can vary from 30,000 to 80,000. We don’t usually give $70,000 to $80,000 all at once, but divide it into three parts, to keep the flow going. We decided on 50,000 if he’s really serious and struggling. For the rest, in such cases it’s up to our sheriffs to help him apply for government resources. To keep the society running for a long time, Ma said„ we don’t need so much from each person. Let’s fix it at 500 or 1,000. I’m fixed at 500. The Maliki is fixed at 1,000. The Deputy Speaker is also fixed at $1,000 or $2,000. A lot of people stick to 1,000, and he’s probably spending 3,000 a month. Or $1,000 one month, $1,000 the next. Everyone agrees with the plan. Previously, there was another case of a kid with a tumor. It was bad. Puli junior high helped him. But they also realized that the donation was a huge amount and decided to give him 50,000 a time on contingency basis. We find that our capacity is still limited, and for those families that are particularly in need, it can only be a matter of urgency. After our discussion, we reached a consensus: when a local magistrate spots such a case, funding must be diverted first to immediate care, emergency relief, and then to Kuomintang and the Democratic Party. They can all apply for some subsidies. Finally, depending on the actual circumstances of each case, we will provide different levels of assistance. In our organization, donations, audit, and money are handled the same no matter who is to benefit as long as they meet the standards set. A special visitor is also appointed to determine the amount of grant on a case-by-case basis and to take photographs to maintain a record of the case. The last time someone we interviewed went to donate money to a case, it was noticed by a well-to-do person who felt that our organization worked really well. He said, I don’t care. I want to donate money to you. He gave me 200 grand. This, for our small organization of the chief, county councilors, and competent legislative authorities is affirmation and encouragement. The process of helping others also led to closer ties among our chiefs, county councilors, and the legislator.

Notes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

http://cand.moi.gov.tw/of/home.jsp, 地方公职人员资讯服务网, 2018-12-1. 20,180,701 interview audio collation. The youngest county in Taiwan is Dongyin, Lianjiang (average age 42), while the oldest is shitan township, Miaoli County (average age 72). 20,180,804 interview audio collation. 20,180,701 interview audio collation. 2018-07-12 interview audio collation. Minutes of the “Southern District public hearing on issues related to the positioning of village (Li) chiefs”, December 6, 2016. The 7-ELEVEN supermarket chain operates 24 h a day, seven days a week and 11 h a day. Liao Zhao Xiang: the dog is injured, Yan La shits all look for him! The south gate is long: all must serve attentively, https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/realtimenews/20180912004352260407, September 13, 2018.

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10. The head of the table is an instruction to explain and translate the gods by standing next to the shamans or their hands. In folk belief, the gods give instructions by means of Tongji, palanquin or four sedans. Tongji can speak, but the language is difficult to understand; Hand sedan chair or four sedan chair writing and painting are also very people can understand, so this time by the head of the table in the side to explain the meaning. In addition to having a good rapport with Tongji or shamans, the head of the table must have a rich knowledge of philology and be familiar with religious affairs in order to properly convey the message. 11. Excerpt from the minutes of the “North district public hearing on issues related to the positioning of village (Lane-RRB) leaders”. 12. Military congregants (i.e. military personnel, civil servants, teachers) will receive their pensions and special preferential interest benefits that Kinyasu can enjoy if they are deposited in a Taiwanese bank. The deposit interest rate is 18% per annum, so the system is often referred to as 18%. 13. 20,180,715 interview audio collation. 14. 20,180,714 interview audio collation. 15. 20,180,804 interview audio collation. 16. 20,180,705 interview audio collation. 17. Zhang Xiesheng: number of people suspected of violating custom rule news. ltn.com.tw/news/ local/paper/991606, May 20, 2016. 18. 20,180,820 interview audio collation. 19. 20,180,720 interview audio collation. 20. 20,180,812 interview audio collation. 21. Wu baiwei: The Monster and its origin: the unveiling of the Pandora Box, the https://www. twreporter.org/a/2018-local-election-councillors-matching-grants, November 19, 2018. 22. 20,180,816 interview audio collation. 23. 20,180,802 interview audio collation. 24. 20,180,720 interview audio collation. 25. 20,180,723 interview audio collation. 26. 20,180,814 interview audio collation.

Chapter 10

The Political Relationship Between the Community Development Association and the Grassroots Governance

The village (sub-district) is the most basic administrative territorial entity in Taiwan, serving as an extension of local government services to the people and assisting the local government in its work. Since the concept of community was introduced into Taiwan, the Community Development Association, which was established under the People’s organization law, overlaps with the village (sub-district) in terms of geographical space and organizational functions; therefore, the village (sub-district) organization and the Community Development Association shape the new political relations in the actual operation process.

1 Evolution and General Situation of the Puli Association for Community Development 1.1 Predecessor to the Puli Association for Community Development Although the concept of community and community development did not come into being until 1950, during the Japanese occupation period, with the establishment of Puli Street (the predecessor of Puli Street as a working place), Taich¯u Prefecture implemented the system of Social Education Committee. A street in the village has been used to establish a group for the revitalization of the tribal groups, recombination of the groups for Puli Street tribe, and “Revitalization of the Federation.” The main activities of the society include popularizing the Japanese language, revitalizing industries, improving the quality of life, and raising the level of citizenship. The residents of the tribe are ex officio members. From a functional point of view, it is similar to “Community development,” so it can be called the “Pioneer” of community development.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_10

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According to Puli Records, as of July 1938, there were 26 social organizations.1 In addition to the formation of people’s organizations, the tribes under Puli Street have also established meeting places among tribes where conditions permit for public meetings. Due to the limited economic conditions at that time, people felt that the cost of building the assembly hall could be from the Water Conservancy group fund, or from the temple collection, or from individual donations. According to statistics, as of July 1938, there are more than 10 assembly centers, including Xiaopu community, Linzicheng City, Dadu City, Hengji City, Niuzhushu City, Xi’nan, taomikeng, Pipa city, Niumian Mountain Shoucheng, etc. Among them, the Niumianshan tribe Revitalization Society built a 25-square-foot, wooden building, with a total project cost of 1,811 yuan, half of which was funded by the Water Conservancy Group, and the land was donated by Pan Wan’an, vice president of the tribe Revitalization Society. The 35-square-foot venue was built by village women who donated some of their money to the Taiwan Sugar Corporation where they worked as Packers for the Puli sugar factory Some of the funds also came from the Mazu Festival and wedding and funeral funds. From this, it is clear that both the contents of the work promoted by the revitalization of the tribe and the construction of the Assembly promoted by the revitalization of the tribe play an important role in shaping and promoting the cohesion of the tribe.

1.2 Evolution of the Puli Association for Community Development To promote grassroots construction and community development, the “Grassroots People’s livelihood construction campaign” was carried out as early as in 1955 in Taiwan, with the village (sub-district) as the unit. The campaign’s goal was to “increase production, improve people’s lives, and make people rich” through “production and construction, culture, education, recreation, health care, and social welfare.” Until 1965, the Competent executive authorities issued the social policy for “people’s livelihood” development of residential areas was one of the seven major social welfare measures. The focus was “to develop small areas, promote people’s livelihood,” and “developing small areas” officially became the island policy. Subsequently, the Competent interior authorities was to draw up a “Work Program for community development” and implement it through a promulgation by the Competent executive authorities. The work plan clearly stipulates the orientation and work contents of the development of residential areas, namely, to mobilize manpower, material and financial resources in residential areas in a planned way, to coordinate with the government’s policy and financial support, to improve the living conditions of the people in residential areas, the production efficiency of the people in the community, the living environment in the community, and build a new people’s livelihood society.

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Therefore, community development once became an effective tool for local and grassroots governments to mobilize. To promote the construction of infrastructure, production, and welfare, as well as spiritual ethics, the Taiwan Provincial Government has formulated the “Eight-year plan for the development of Taiwan Province district,” and the “Ten-year plan for the development of Taiwan Province District.” The Taipei City Government promulmend the “Implementation measures for the development of the Taipei District,” “The four-year plan for the development of the Taipei District,” etc. With the development of community related work began the construction of community activity centers and the task of beautifying the environment in Taiwan. In May 1991, the Competent interior authorities decided to stop the application of the program of work for the development of small areas and promulmend the program of organizing District Development Associations to promote the work of the district on the basis of the “Law of the People’s organization.” This is expected to change the organizational form to foster the autonomy of the district and encourage residents to actively participate in community activities. In 1994, “The Ministry of Culture” (“The Cultural Construction Association” for short) put forward “the overall construction of the community”; in 2005 “the Competent executive authorities” promoted “the six-star program of the Competent executive authorities Healthy Community,” whose goal orientation was gradually changed from “Basic construction” to “Establishment of a community welfare system.” The Puli Town Office not only provides professional study courses for community cadres, but also convenes the Association of Community Directors every three months to enhance the capacity of the staff of the community; it also provides exchange study opportunity for each community cadre. The 38 community development associations in Puli were most concentrated in 1992, 1993, and 2010 and 2011, with 13 and 12 associations, respectively. Under the active promotion of Puli Town office, Puli Town Office won the first prize of the Nantou County Government in 1998, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012. On July 29, 2013, Puli town office further established the “Puli Town Community Vision Promotion Committee”2 in cooperation with the Chi Nan University Center for Human Innovation and social practice to provide intellectual support for community building in the villages of Puli.

1.3 Current Situation of the Puli Association for Community Development By the end of 2017, there were 38 Community Development Associations in 33 districts in Puli. Among them, in addition to the south men, North Anli, Xiang Shanli, and so on, every Li has at least 1 district development association. There are two community development associations in the synthesis, Wugong Li, Big Mountain, Ailan, niumanli, Pipa, Shuitou, and so on, and only three community development associations in the Dacheng. Of the 38 Community Development Associations, there

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are 19 community activity centers, 13 care posts, a day care station for older adults, 23 mothers’ classrooms, 19 teams of watch-and-help teams, and 23 longevity clubs. The Nantou County Government assessed 38 neighborhoods in Puli based on the activities of the neighborhood development associations and the participation of residents in the neighborhoods; all the community associations in Puli can be divided into four types: general activity type, active activity type, static type, and potential type. Community is of three types: stagnant community, active community, and potential community. Community can also be of four types: positive community, potential community, stagnant community, and negative community. Types of 38 neighborhoods in Puli.3 General activity, stagnant type community: The Kowloon Xionglin Community Development Association, the Ayran District Development Association, the Housing Community Development Association, the Heng Ji Community Development Association, the Tai Something Community Development Association, the Tung Mun Community Development Association, the city of Botrytis Community Development Association, the Qingxin Community Development Association, the Association for Housing Estate Development, the Association for Housing Estate Development, the West Men Community Development Association, the North Men Community Development Association, the Xunhua Community Development Association, and the Qilin Community Development Association. General active community: Mex District Development Association, Niumian District Development Association, Zhuzaishan District Development Association, NAMCH’ on District Development Association, and 50 Jia District Development Association. General activity potential type community: Hushan District Development Association, Shoucheng District Development Association, Taiping District Development Association, Shuitou District Development Association, Success District Development Association, Fuxing District Development Association, Mei Tsai Foot District Development Association, a new District Development Association, and Shigangkeng District Development Association. Active and activities type: Wugong Li Community Development Association, the Association of Corporate Basketball City Community Development Association, and CIEN Community Development Association. Active and potential communities: Guangcheng District Development Association and the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District Development Association. Active and stagnant communities: Tieshan District Community Development Association and the Pipa Community Development Association. Active and passive community: Taomi Community Development Association. Static and potential community: Association for the development of synthetic housing estates. Potential community: Good Neighborhood Development Association.

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2 Orientation and functions of the Puli Association for Community Development 2.1 Positioning of the Puli Community Development Association The application and establishment of District Development Association require specifying its unique characteristics, orientation, and development vision. This is true of the 38 communities in Puli. In terms of the administrative areas covered by the 38 communities, some completely overlap with the local jurisdiction (e.g., the Lancheng District Development Association takes the whole neighborhood of Lancheng as 10 neighborhoods), while others cover parts of the neighborhood,4 some span two li (such as the Zhuzaishan Community Development Association covers the whole of Zhuge Li a total of 11 neighbors and Xi’nan li a total of 7 neighbors). Whether it is covering part of the neighborhood, the whole area, or beyond the area of Li, the Community Development Association was established first based on common geographical area, that is, geographical proximity, with a relatively similar culture. This is especially true for the Zhuzaishan Community Development Association, which covers two miles. In fact, Zhugeli and Xi’nanli, which are covered by the Zhuzaishan Community Development Association, were previously ne “Community,” where the two shared the Awakening Temple Sun and Xi’nan national primary school, and residents married, lost their lives, and celebrated, with frequent interactions between neighbors. Only the need for administrative management led to its division two. Therefore, internal reason exist for the Zhuzishan Community Development Association covering two villages. The development visions of the 38 communities have their own unique characteristics. Jiuxionglin District development association, based on its geographical location, industrial structure, and ecological conditions focuses on “Industrial development, community security, environmental landscape, and ecological protection.” Through the joint efforts of the Association and the residents, not only has environmental improvement and green beautification of the community been achieved but also the ideal goal of regional activation and sustainable community development has been noted. The Ayran district development association features community care for older adults. In 2007, a community care center was established, and in 2013, it was appraised as a community care advantage by the Nantou County Government. At the same time, in view of the fact that the majority of residents in the community are from Taiwanese Plains Aborigines and Pazeh people, the association actively preserves Pazeh people’s culture by organizing youth fellowship and learning Bazai language activities on a regular basis so that Pazeh people culture can be retained. The Zhuzaishan Community Development Association was established late, but it has no exclusive activity center. The activities can be handled only with the help of nearby resources, such as Zhulong Palace, Xuanping Palace, and Xi’nan primary

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school. However, less than eight years after the Zhuzaishan Community Development Association was established, the Evergreen Club, environmental volunteers team, mother’s classroom, and Youth League were established along with a community newspaper editorial group and a stage theater promoting the history of the two groups. In 2011, a residential care center was opened. From that year to 2015, the center was awarded the first prize for five consecutive years. Night Light Angel has been held to care for vulnerable children, planting cherry blossoms, performing samba street activities, and so on, thus attracting a large number of tourists. The establishment of the historical stage theater company is a major feature of the district. Most of the plays are based on the daily lives of the residents of the district. The performances are by the residents of the district. Through the stage, the history and daily life of the district are re-created, and residents’ consensus and interactions are enhanced, with the historical stage drama being invited to perform at many places and winning many awards.

2.2 Functions of the Puli Association for Community Development The “Outline of community development work” clearly stipulates, “The Community Development Association shall formulate the development plan and budget for the community in accordance with the characteristics of the community, the needs of the residents, the government’s policies, and the community’s own projects, and actively promote the development of the community.” Taking local historical relations, cultural background, geographical situation, population distribution, and ecological characteristics, resources, housing type, agriculture, fisheries, industry, mining, commercial development, and residents’ intentions, interests, and common needs, the association shall set a reasonable development vision and actively cooperate with relevant government policies. In the construction of public facilities, we will actively build new community activity centers, improve and dispose of sanitation and garbage, ensure timely repair of roads and ditches, add and arrange parking facilities, beautify the environment of residential areas, and promote other matters related to public facilities. In terms of production and welfare, we will establish production and construction bases in small areas in accordance with the law, promote community welfare, create kindergartens in small areas, promote the development of industry in small areas, and promote other matters related to production and welfare construction. On the spiritual and ethical front, we will strengthen important measures to improve the social climate, actively advocate and promote examples of people’s etiquette, maintain and promote local culture and folk arts, establish and maintain traffic order in residential areas, and draw up conventions for residential areas to promote community support, and establish community arts and recreation teams, community longevity clubs, community volunteer service teams, and community libraries, and promote a community-wide

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movement to exercise, inform, and advocate disaster preparedness in residential areas and promote other matters related to spiritual and ethical construction. Of the 38 community development associations in Puli, almost every development association has a support team, with each association establishing its own team according to its own characteristics. The Wugong Community Development Association has established a longevity club, maple sweet national music class, singing class, rhythm class, electronic piano class, knitting class, etc. Hengji District Development Association has established a wood carving class, singing class, national music class, billiard class and other teams. The MEX community development association has established a mother’s classroom, handicraft class, music class, percussion and drum class, singing class, etc. Tieshan District Community Development Association has established a battle drum team, environmental volunteers team, a mother’s classroom, and other affiliated teams. Niumian District Development Association has established a lion dance team, environmental volunteers team, health volunteers team, evergreen vitality station, and four classes in the same hall. The Taiping District Development Association has Farmur Music Reading Club, dream drum team, bicycle team, etc. The Association for the development of Shuitou residential area includes the Shuitou Changle Club, the women’s growing class, the environmental volunteer team, the health exercise class and the balloon class; it has also established community production and marketing class, ecological engineering class, community mother classroom, Success Volunteer Team, Hakka people skills class, and other affiliated classes. The Fuxing Community Development Association consists of neighborhood rescue teams, mothers’ classrooms, longevity clubs, environmental volunteers, volunteer tour groups, and other affiliated teams. The watch and help team.5 When I was still the village chief, I established a watch and help team. We all worked hard as a team to catch thieves. Since we were near the Irish Exchange Road, with the traffic flow, villagers’ traffic awareness was low, and often there were car accidents. After the formation of the watch and help team, if there was is an accident, we are the first to arrive at the scene and direct traffic. Whether it is catching thieves or easing the traffic, the police have praised us many times. “9/21,” the day of the earthquake, I was at home sleeping after a drink. My wife realized that an earthquake had struck, but initially did not think it was a huge quake. When things got worse, she yelled at me and my grandson to run outside, and I cut my foot on the way out. Seeing that our house was not in serious trouble, I wanted to drive around the village to see if there was any damage. When I looked around, a car just pulled up on the side of the road, I found the mountain caving in and the car was caught under. I followed a path and walked from house to house. Not far away, I heard someone cry for help, a house had collapsed, and a family of three were buried inside. I quickly called around the neighbors to help, rescued a young girl, who was sent to the Christian Hospital. Then I gathered the neighbors and established the first aid station in the village of Linan, the first in Puli. I was then a soldier, and 10 neighbors took turns to help. With no office space, I turned my daughter’s roadside betel nut house into a first aid station, which played a big role in disaster relief.

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2.3 Similarities and Differences Between Community Development Associations and Village (Sub-Districts) Organizations The Community Development Association, which originated in the village, has an inborn dependent relationship with the village organization. Both rely on the village (sub-district) and yet are different from the village (sub-district); both overlap in the village (sub-district) and go beyond the village (sub-district). Whether from system design, or from actual operation, there are similarities and differences between them (see Table 1). From the legal basis of the establishment of village organizations and the Development Associations of small districts, the establishment of village organizations shall be handled in accordance with Article 3, Item 4, and Article 5, Item 4, of the “Local System Law.” In other words, “The organization within a township is a village; the organization within a town, a county or a city under the jurisdiction of a district is a Li.” In accordance with Article 2 of the “Outline of residential district development,” the term “Community” as mentioned in this outline refers to the area designated by the township (town, city, District) District Development Authority for the purpose of establishing a district development association to promote the development of the district. The development of residential area is based on the common needs of the residents, the spirit of automation and mutual help, the government’s administrative support, technical guidance, effective use of resources, and comprehensive construction to improve the quality of life of the residents. In accordance with Article 8 of the law on people’s organizations, the establishment of a community development association shall be subject to the approval of the competent authority upon examination of the application, draft articles of association, and the list of sponsors by the promoters. The sponsor must be at least 20 years old and, there must be at least 30 persons. In terms of the geographical coverage of village organizations and Community Development Associations, the village establishment considers factors such as geographical environment, traffic conditions, people’s living habits and customs, as well as population density, while the establishment of Community Development Associations considers factors such as historical relations, cultural background, geographical situation, population distribution, ecological characteristics, resource conditions, housing types, agriculture, fisheries, industry, mining, commercial development, and residents’ intentions, interests, and common needs. Therefore, while the existing community development associations and the village (sub-district) service areas are consistent, some of the community development associations and the village (sub-district) service areas are inconsistent. According to the membership conditions of village organizations and Community Development Associations, people whose household registration is in the village (sub-district) are all the people in the village (who have the right to vote after they reach the age of 20). According to the “Program for the development of small districts,” “Residents of small districts are residents who have household registration

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Table 1 Differences between village neighborhood organizations and Community Development Associations Categories

Projects

Neighborhood organization

Community development association organization

Difference of morphology

Source of law

Article 3 of the local system law

“People’s Organization Law” applies for establishment

Organizational form

Hold villagers’ meeting and infrastructure construction forum,Meetings, neighborhood councils, volunteer activities

General Meeting, council, Board of Supervisors

Members

The village mayor, the village (-RRBofficer,Neighborhood Leader

Director-general, director-general, supervisor, director-general, worker,Staff, members

Difference of function

Salary

No pay

No pay

Punishes

Village head: suspension, dismissal

Directors and supervisors: Recall, suspension

Village officers: Disciplinary Law for public officials

Director-general, staff: dismissals

Target group

Village residents

Members and others

Status

Disqualification of legal person

Has the status of a legal person

Meeting place

Village Party House (village office)

Community Centre

Beautification

Village landscaping

Community tree planting

Cleanses

Environmental Minor infractions, road, sanitation ditch maintenance maintenance, clean up the mess

Administration

Issue all kinds of Entrusted items and certificates and public community work of accounts township public office

Guarding

Village, Neighborhood watch team to guard homes

Community watch, safety, and security (continued)

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Table 1 (continued) Categories

Difference of outlay source

Projects

Neighborhood organization

Community development association organization

Sanitation

Spraying insecticide against infectious diseases

Strengthening and maintenance of community cleanliness and hygiene

Caring

Social Welfare and emergency assistance

caring for older adults in the community

Culture and education

Sports and cultural activities for village neighbors

To promote local culture and folk art

Activities

Village events, parties, etc

Community classes, classroom activities

Autonomy

Villagers’ assembly, other coordination committees

Community residents’ assembly, other coordinating committees

Channel 1

Subsidies for village office services

Membership income

Channel 2

Subsidy for self-improvement activities of village chiefs

Income from community production

Channel 3

Subsidy to the village chief’s newspaper

Le donates revenue

Channel 4

Subsidy for the work of the villagers assembly

Application for rant for Project Activities

Channel 5

Award for performance of various tasks

Public sector subsidies

Channel 6

Attendance fee for Income from class village head workshop activities

Channel 7

Subsidies for elected representatives

Fund deposit interest income

Channel 8

others

Other income

and live in their own community. However, unlike individual residents of villages, members of the Association for the development of small districts are of three types: first, community residents can automatically apply to join; second, community members, through community organs, institutions, schools, and organizations can apply to join. Group members shall appoint one to five member representatives in accordance with the articles of association. Third, sponsoring members: other

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groups or individuals outside the community that sponsor their community development association may apply to join as sponsoring members. Sponsoring members shall have no right to vote, be elected, or be removed from office. According to the organization pattern of the village organization and the Development Association of the small district, the village (sub-district) office has a village (sub-district) director and a village (sub-district) officer, and the village (sub-district) director is elected through a direct election. The posts of village officers are appointed by the chief of the township (town, city, District) and supervised by the chief of the village. In recruiting neighbors, village (sub-district) handles it under the direction and supervision of the Governor in charge of neighborhood affairs. The Community Development Association shall have a General Assembly, a board of directors and, a Board of Supervisors. The Board of directors and the Board of Supervisors shall be composed of members (representatives of members) who elect members and supervisors, respectively, in the general meeting of members (representatives of members). To promote the development of residential work needs, the board may hire consultants and may establish a variety of internal operating organizations. At the same time, the Community Development Association has a director-general and may employ a number of social workers and other staff to promote the operation of the community. From the perspective of the work contents and methods of the village organization and the Community Development Association organization, village tasks include dealing with the village self-government matters, assisting the higher-level government in the implementation of matters (commission matters), as well as moving matters within the village to the higher-level through various channels. The Community Development Association mainly aims at improving the characteristics of the community and the needs of the residents, in coordination with the government to develop designated work projects (including public facilities construction, production and welfare construction, and spiritual and ethical construction), the government’s annual recommended projects, projects created by the community itself, draw up the district plan, draw up the fund budget, and promote these actively. In terms of working methods, the village (sub-district) director is under the command and supervision of the township (town, city, District) director in handling official business; Li Min assists the villagers in contacting the public sector for assistance and services. The residents of the community work together to solve the problems of the community and use voluntary services to promote the work of the community. Based on the source of funds for village organizations and the Development Association of small districts, the funds for village organizations are budgeted by the township (town, city, District) office. The fund of the association mainly comes from the membership fee, the production of the community, the subsidies from government agencies, donations, community welfare service activities, and other sources of income. From the perspective of the supervisory authorities of the village organizations and the Community Development Association organizations, the village (sub-district) is under the command and supervision of the township (town, city, District) chief. District development authorities: the highest authority is the Competent interior

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authorities; in the municipality directly under the competent administrative authorities is the municipal government; in the county (City) it is the county (City) government; in the township (town, city, District) it is the township (town, city, District) office.

3 Political Relationship Between the Puli Associations for Community Development and the Village (Sub-District) Village (sub-district) organizations and community development association organizations belong to different systems, have their own purposes of establishment, and have different ways of working, but they are located in the same geographical space, and both the village chief and the president of the community are positions held by highly respected Li Min, with the two relatively high in the local configuration, thus leading to a competitive relationship. Due to the influence of political parties, interests, electoral enmities, personality traits, and local cliques, three types of relations can exist between them: cooperation, conflict, and tolerance.

3.1 Adversarial Relationship The village (sub-district) director and the DDA director share a geographical space and face almost the same object (generally speaking, the DDA members are less than the number of Li People), although the two sides work in different areas; however, due to the influence of the political concept, limited resources, and local cliques, confrontation has become the underlying core of the political relationship between the two. (1) Political competition As the most basic public official in Taiwan, the village (sub-district) chief who undertakes this work is going through a fierce election campaign, even though the 45,000 yuan per month transaction subsidy is not enough to give gifts, to be elected. Many village (sub-district) chiefs believe that they are not here to earn a small amount of subsidies, but for the sake of their ideals (even family ideals), and hoping that in their own village (sub-district), they are respected. As a result, in the heat of battle, there are always winners and losers. The losers, to rally support, actively apply for the establishment of a community development association, by soliciting resources from their superiors, organize a series of activities, and integrate funds under the banner of supporters. At the same time, as the president of the Association

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for Community Development can be re-elected only for one term, while a governor can be re-elected, the position of the governor has also become an object of political pursuit of the people. Why is there always someone smarter?6 In many places, in nearly 80% of the places, since some did not run for mayor, they got 30 people to form an association. After the establishment, they actively strived for resources with their competent authorities, to project, to fund and to confront the mayor. In fact, we as local chiefs have done many things for the local people and have won no less funds than them. However, the construction of roads, ditches, and streetlamps is often neglected by the local people; on the contrary, the community development association often does these jobs. In my opinion, many of the activities organized by the community development association are spontaneous. For example, if an activity is completed today, it will be gone tomorrow. The 200,000, or 300,000 NT won from the above will be lost after the event. This is bad. But those who lost the governor’s race, after running the community development association with their hearts, turned around and ran for governor, using it as a springboard to run for governor. Some of the Community Development Association members would like to make it big and become a long-standing equal. However, they do not think, we need at least 500 to 600 votes to be elected governor. It is not like forming an association of 30; as president, this would not make sense. Additionally, the activities of the community development association are funded through write-off. If it costs NT $400,000 to apply for a project, the higher government will not give you NT $400,000 first, but they will make you wait until you complete the activities before write-off. The money for the event is paid for by the director in the first place. Write it off after the fact. In fact, I’ve done a lot of events in the past, for a 400,000 event, about 280,000, 300,000 will be enough. What happens to the other 100,000? You can do the books. In this way, some presidents have earned both money and popularity and votes. This system is embarrassing; first, it does service to the people of the institutions or organizations, second it makes enough money to cause chaos. As the three kingdoms said, “Why is there always someone smarter?”

(2) Competition for resources From the legal position of the village organization and the Community Social Development Association organization, one is the extension of the government institution, the other is a social organization with a legal person status. Although the tasks they accomplish are different and similar, they have different access to funding. In addition to the village chief, project funding sources for roads, streetlights, ditches and other engineering projects, village organizations can also channelize the fund of Area Development Association, the fund from county government, or the Competent interior authorities, which still has a fund deposit. For an event in the village, it may be possible the community development association to apply for only NT $20,000 from the township office or, and receive NT $200,000 or more by applying for various schemes. Both the residents of the community and the residents of the village are in fact the same group. The village chief often feels that there are more activities organized by the President of the Association and feels that he has no face. Even the village chief’s own dignity is stolen by the president. If the two leaders have different ideas, there will often be conflicts.

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The chief’s embarrassment and helplessness.7 From a system level, the office of the village chief does not have the status of a legal person. Not only can it not issue documents directly to the outside world, but it cannot directly apply to the outside world for funds. Even if we write a large number of proposals for an activity, it can borrow only 20,000 yuan from the public. However, the Community Development Association is a civil society, not only can it directly approach “Heaven” and send official documents to the “Competent interior authorities,” or the tax bureau, it can also easily apply for NT 200,000. Therefore, sometimes a request for funds from both may cause a conflict between the two. For example, as of now, the unit in charge of the Community Development Association belongs to the social and administrative unit, but the money that the social and administrative unit gives is meager. For us, in Nantou, the first thing that comes to mind is the rural regeneration plan since the rural regeneration program is a place where you can send ten million. If ten million yuan came in directly to the hands of the Community Development Association, the village chief would find it difficult to directly control that resource. So, sometimes, financial resources are a big cause of conflict. You see, our community is only in the community to do, however, if you have to compete for resources, only within the government units should there be options. Cultural construction should be done in residential areas, agricultural committees, social administration, and Environmental Protection Units. Therefore, in the process of competition and cooperation between various resources, there is no way to integrate the community here. What I usually see is the conflict between development associations and the village. As the president is not a salaried person, some presidents find it hard to conduct any activity and will approach for some funds to run some activities. That way, the chief will be watching out for you. Are you running against me? Why should I work with you, you’re doing it, every time you come to evaluate something. If the president of the Community Development Association is giving a speech, why should I do scenes for you? I know a few community development association presidents who say they do not want to elect the village chief. This is probably to avoid conflict between the two. I have always been puzzled that it is not easy to elect a district chief. If at least half of the local people agree, the chairman of the development association is elected by 20 or 30 members, and he is against us. Why? They can get funding for an event, when we don’t have a dollar in the office! They use the rec center now, we use it in the office; we don’t get the keys, we don’t even have the authority over the office. How can there be no conflict under these circumstances?

(3) Factional rivalry Because of different interests, different groups form different local factions in the village society. Factions are formed of political parties, religious beliefs, or interest groups. If the two sides belong to the same faction, they will support each other in the local elections; if they belong to different factions, there will be acrimony and fierce competition. In the daily interaction process, if the governor and president belong to different factions, it becomes difficult to have positive interactions, and all activities will be conducted in a “Competitive” state. Under the influence of political parties, different factions are formed among the locals. For the governor, it is hard not to be influenced by local factions unless they are self-reliant.

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Divided indigenous tribes.8 In addition to the factors of political parties and interests, religion also influences local factions. Traditional Chinese religious culture is strong in Taiwan, and temples like Puli are both village and private. In particular, among the Nantou County indigenous people, the church’s influence is particularly great. Three main forces influence the indigenous people: The Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ, and the Presbyterian Church. In the same tribe, there are often three churches. These three churches, which are divided into different factions, often don’t get along. At the grassroots level, there are not only village chiefs, but also community development associations and churches. If the three different factions of the village head, the president of a community development association, and a church minister have to find a balance point, competition and conflict is inevitable. So, it’s strange that the government, for some reason, is toying with the village chief and the Community Development Association among an indigenous tribe. They originally had their own tribal council, whereby the original elders formed a tribal council as a mechanism of public governance. They also put in two mechanisms, plus the later churches, which were originally simple in a tribe, but the government tore them apart.

3.2 Cooperative Relations A cooperative relationship can exist between the village organization and the Community Development Assistance Organization because of their common interests, or because they belong to the same faction or political party or have good personal relations between them. Based on the levels of cooperation depending on the closeness of the two sides, they can have full cooperation, deep cooperation, or symbolic cooperation. (1) 100% cooperation The so-called full cooperation between the village chief and the chairman of the district council usually means that the village chief and the chairman of the district council are the same person, or husband and wife, or relatives and good friends, and they share a common vision and philosophy, willing to make joint efforts for Li and the community. Due to the different legal position of the village chief and the president of the community, the village chief cannot raise funds, while the president of the community can raise funds or obtain more resources. Therefore, in the case of full cooperation between the two sides, village leaders can use the president of the district to solve activities delayed by financial constraints. If the village chief and the president of the community is the same person, it is even more convenient, as the person can change roles at any time and use the most advantageous way to deal with related affairs and win the support of most members. For example, in 38 communities and 33 villages in Puli, the director of Wugong Li, Huang Meiyu, is also the president of Wugong Li Community Development Association; at the same time he served as the president of a new community development association; Pu mingcong also served as the chairman of the Shigang Keng Community Development Association.

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(2) Deep collaboration A deep cooperative relationship between the village chief and the chairman of the district council usually means that although the village chief and the chairman of the District Council have not reached the state of complete cooperation, they do not have a competitive relationship; they work together on issues, or talk to each other, and support each other. For example, the 50 Jia District Development Association in Tai’an is based on a district of 20 neighbors with a population of 2,813. The current chairman of the Association is Huang Shifang and the governor, Song Zixian, is the vice-chairman. As Huang Shifang’s identity is diverse, he has more than a dozen titles part- time, his work focus is not in the community, so the community work is basically led by Song Zixian. From the activities carried out by the 50 Jia District Development Association since its establishment, in addition to the unique and endogenous environmental protection volunteer team and the district Chinese music class, other activities too have been carried out smoothly. These not only indicate the dedication of Song Zixian but also indicate the resourcefulness of Huang Shifang.9 This kind of cooperation not only achieves sound operation of the Community Development Association, but also improves the environment security situation. In 2018, Song Zixian was re-elected in an equal-opportunity election. The 50 Jia District Development Association held its second and second general meeting in Tai’an10 On January 30, 2016, the 50 Jia District Development Association held its second general meeting at the Tai’an Assembly Hall at 19:30 pm. The second general meeting was chaired by the president of the Association, Huang Shifang, and a total of more than 50 members participated in the meeting on the 2015 annual revenue and expenditure final accounts. The 2016 annual work plan and revenue and expenditure budget were reported in detail.

(3) Symbolizing cooperation A symbolic cooperative relationship between the village chief and the chairman of the district council indicates that they belong to different factions, have no deep friendship, and no competitive interests either; so, they choose to work together on mutually beneficial issues, rather than boycott each other’s work, and go their separate ways, in a relationship of noninterference. They have fewer opportunities for conflict and hence more partnerships. For example, in the Zhuzaishan Community Development Association, the Chairman is Dr. Huang Qirui, a professor at the Nan Kai University of Technology. Since he lives in this place, his own enthusiasm, superiority, and resources drove the residents to establish the plot development association. In the absence of an activity center, chairman Huang Qirui actively communicated with the leaders of local religious and educational institutions, such as Xuanping Palace, Zhulong Palace, and Xi’nan national primary school, and obtained their support. As chairman Huang Qirui is a university teacher, his focus is still on the school, and he will not use the platform of the Community Development Association to run against the two governors of Xi’nanli and Zhugeli for governor hence, there is no competition for the chiefs of Sinanli and Zhugli. Therefore, the two chiefs of the Zhuzai Hill Community Development Association work in a hands-off manner, are not too supportive, but appear to give moral support to each other.

Notes

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3.3 Tolerant Relationship Between the village organization and the Community Development Assistance Organization, neither is a good cooperation relationship formed nor an intense confrontation. The village (sub-district) chief and the President of the Community Development Association form a tolerant relationship under which, they may be nodding acquaintances, friends, or even business contacts in their daily lives, but the relationship between them is relatively indifferent and each goes their own way, with little or no contact with each other. Since there is no conflict of interest or factional conflict between the two, mutually tolerant relationships contribute to stability and peace in village and neighborhoods. “Respect each other as guests” of the governor and the president of the community.11 To tell the truth, I have no deep friendship with the president of the community; our interaction is not much. Each does their own work without stepping on the other’s toes. If there’s a conflict, back off! Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all get along? If, as the president of the community, this is the attitude, we are safe here, disputes are few, and mutual respect leads to an interactive relationship. Ha Ha! Isn’t that special! This is good! I do my role as the chief, he does his as president, with mutual respect, and this is conducive to local harmony.

Notes 1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Edited by Shi Yilin: the town of Puli, 2018, pp. 485. The committee is convened by the Mayor of the town, Zhou Yixiong, members include the Provost and director of the National Chi Nan University, Jiang Dashu; the chairman of the new hometown culture and Education Foundation, Liao Jiazhan; the director of the Tai Puli District Tourism Development Association, Indene Jinxiang; the professor of the Economic and Social Research Institute of the United University, Huang Shiming; and the Professor of the Department of Architecture and landscape of the Nanhua University, Chen Huimin, combine the industry, government, academia as a community counseling, support platform. According to the 2017 Puli District Development Association BASIC data sheet. Source: Shi Yilin, editor-in-chief: the town of Puli, 2018 edition, pp. 507–509. For example, the Jiuxionglin Community Development Association covers the 8th to 10th neighbors in Wugong, the Ayran Community Development Association covers the 6th to 11th neighbors in Ayran, and the Fangli Community Development Association covers the 6th to 8th neighbors in the house, taomili District Development Association to Taomili 1–5 neighborhood for the area and so on. 20,180,720 interview audio collation. 20,180,728 interview audio collation. 20,180,731 interview audio collation. 20,180,809 interview audio collation. Huang Shifang was a member of the 19th Central Committee of the Kuomintang, the vice president of the Kuomintang, the 18th, 19th and 20th representatives of the people of Puli Town, and a consultant of the Puli Women’s propaganda team, consultant of the Puli Volunteer Fire Brigade, consultant of the Lei Yue Tam Police Buddy Fighting Team, consultant of the Tai Nan Lai Hing Temple in Puli, consultant of the Parents’ Association of Puli Junior High School, consultant of the Puli Town Volunteer Brigade, consultant of the Puli Simon Lane Watch and help brigade, vice President, Puli Ching Chamber of Commerce.

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10. From the 50 Jia Community Development Association’s Facebook page, accessed June 24, 2018. 11. 20,180,820 interview audio collation.

Chapter 11

Election Behavior and Relationship with Grassroots Governance

Since the implementation of the “Local System Law,” many local elections are conducted as democratic training, so that Nantou County Puli Town people have a comprehensive understanding of the election process. Candidates for public office gradually acquire electoral skills and focus on networking in their daily lives and work to win elections; the technical means of laying, fixing, and pulling out piles are used in the election. A variety of relationships develop during this electoral interaction or in preparation for the elections.

1 Networking During the Non-Election Period For any candidate who wants to run for public office, day-to-day networking is a prerequisite and the basis of campaigning, and it is hard to get elected on a onemonth “Campaign” alone. To this end, both candidates for elected representatives at all levels and candidates for local executive heads will be in their regular offices, in the activity centers of the Community Development Association, temples, and other places, establish a good and stable personal relationship with the chief magistrate, the president of the Community Development Association and the Chief Committee of the temple to obtain more votes in the election.

1.1 Party Responsibility As the major political parties in Taiwan, the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party have a relatively sound organizational system. In particular, the Kuomintang has district party headquarters under its municipal party headquarters, district party headquarters have district branches under its district party headquarters, and the Standing Committee of the branch is the governor of the prefecture, with a section © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_11

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chief in the division. For the benefit of the party, the party departments often arrange candidates (especially the representatives of public opinion) in different regions to avoid competing with the candidates of the party. After the candidates are well distributed, party organizations at all levels will be required to cooperate through internal party discipline. At the grassroots level, it is mainly manifested in the local leaders providing the necessary facilities for their fellow party members’ candidates, which are called “Responsibilities” by the local people. Therefore, through the organizational mechanism of political parties, candidates can form a positive interaction with the governor of the same region. It is the responsibility of the governor in peacetime to provide fellow party candidates a platform for speech and other activities, for example, if the local people need to make a statement or there is a meeting, the first consideration is for fellow party representatives. In the election, the “Responsibility” of the long is the responsibility of the same party candidates for the secondary election. However, if the party’s elected representatives themselves do not pay enough attention to the “Responsibility” of the matter or do not work, often they let village head the headache of the long. As the party headquarters require the village head to cooperate with the elected representatives in his election responsibility, and his daily duties are taken care by other elected representatives, the village head becomes unaccountable to the elected representatives who hadn’t helped him. Relatively speaking, the non-party governor and representative of public opinion can on weekdays have a close and interactive relationship, whether in peacetime or during election to provide more support. However, due to the differences in the ruling parties on the island and the different resources available to the representatives of the public opinion of the different parties, the speed of assisting the village (sub-district) chiefs in handling affairs varies considerably. Although the governor in charge has to provide convenience and help for the public opinion representatives of the same party, he will also have good relations with the public opinion representatives of the ruling party in private from the angle of personal gain and loss. Since only the governor can help a representative successfully resolve the difficulties of the people, the governor has a “feeling” that he will be successfully re-elected.

1.2 Demonstration of Ability For candidates running for public office, it is possible to win more votes only by showing up in front of the public as often as possible, reaching out to the public as often as possible, and making the public “realize” their presence as much as possible. To this end, candidates will actively use all available opportunities, in particular their own mandates, to create as many opportunities as possible for themselves.

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(1) Sponsorship Generally speaking, as the election of local chiefs is highly competitive, each local chief will actively organize activities within the district after his election, such as organizing the local people’s evening party during festivals, local folk singing contests, color painting contests, health talks, etc., hoping to let the local people feel that the governor is doing things so that four years later when the election comes, he can showcase his political achievements. Whenever an event is held in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, all the representatives of the public attend, regardless of their party affiliation. It is not easy to get them together because of their busy work. Based on the scale of the event, many elected representatives and local executive heads decide whether to attend or not, and if they cannot, they often arrange for assistants to attend. If I can attend, the mayor will “specially” arrange his speech. To win the favor of the public, some representatives of public opinion and local executive heads provide sponsorship according to the nature of the event. If it’s a town hall party or an old people’s birthday party, they’ll donate a raffle; if it’s a trip or something, they’ll donate at least a few crates of mineral water. “Cooperation” for mutual benefit.1 Now, Line, Facebook, and that kind of thing is convenient. If there’s anything going on, they just get an advance invite to the pollsters or to the mayor. It’s a sign of respect for them, and it’s good for us. No matter how many of them are here, all support me as chairman of the board. The more they come, the better I look. It is always good for them to show their faces, even during non-election periods. As it’s not easy to hold an event (especially a larger one), gather a crowd, if there is a crowd, there will be votes. For example, take the case of the Father’s Day event. I sent an invitation to our elected representatives at all levels of public opinion and the mayor to hold a lottery for the local people. Each of them was cooperative, offering a wide variety of gifts. Although the gifts they prepared were not expensive, at heart, it had the Li Min touch, and people feel happy receiving the gift donated by county magistrate, or the county councilor and this is conducive during future election canvassing. Like, Ma Wenjun, the legislator, was too busy to attend the event in person, but I arranged for her assistant to speak from the rostrum. When the assistant finished speaking, he took NT $6,000 directly from his pocket as the prize money.

(2) Union exploration As the government spokesman at the grassroots level, I have only the right to suggest, not even the power to write to achieve “road leveling, light, water communication,” but need to rely on representatives of public opinion to help give it voice and coordination. If the county councilors have the power to supervise the budget of the county government, when they intervene in the construction and improvement of public facilities, they will inject a “booster” into the promotion of this work. Therefore, the governors hope that the representatives of public opinion, especially the higher representatives of public opinion (county councilors, and legislators) come to the scene to conduct a survey. The so-called “Union exploration” is when the local residents wish to build or improve a public area within the district, such as roads damaged by mudslides,

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intersections requiring additional traffic lights, a section of a ditch blocked, etc., the district governor asks the legislator, county councilors, etc. to be present, in conjunction with the relevant personnel from the public sector. The presence of public opinion representatives can not only coordinate in the middle, but also exert pressure on the public sector so that it can pay enough attention to the project and complete it as soon as possible. Of course, for the same public facilities repair application, the representative of public opinion, if personally present, can help process the results with greater impact. From the representatives of public opinion, the governor and three people involved in the three sides are beneficial. As far as the representatives of public opinion are concerned, any case that has been investimend by them will become their own achievements in serving the people. With the help of the meeting, the representatives of public opinion can not only get in close contact with the local people present, so that the local people can feel their affinity, but also gain the local people’s approval by helping them solve their practical problems; it could also allow the remin to unwittingly promote themselves for their future re-election campaigns. For the governor, through the management of the exploration, he can respond to the service needs and let the people see their efforts. At the same time, the public facilities and public works in Li were quickly built and repaired with the help of the conference. This gave Li people a real “insight” and not only added points to the Li governor’s service, but also built a legacy for the mayor’s re-election campaign. For the Li people, all the projects that have been surveyed represent the problems or demands that need to be solved by the public sector and deserve a formal response. Surveying the records of future generations would mean that the public sector could begin to address the problem, and that it would be readily available to citizens to inquire about the progress of the process. This meeting is the chief’s best “reward” to the councilor.2 In general, the village chief will not look for two county councilors at the same time for a survey because, any meeting for a county councilor is a performance. Therefore, the governor of the KMT usually looks for the county councilors of the KMT, the governor of the DPP looks for the county councilors of the DPP, and county councilors of the “Duty” usually look for the duty councilors. If the governor is not of a political party, he usually will be directly in the investigation if he has a specific good relationship with the county council. However, if there are individual cases that are difficult to handle, the magistrate will also seek the help of the county councilors who are more “powerful”; if there are cases demanding professional expertise, he will seek county councilors who have relevant expertise because every county councilman has an area of expertise or focus.

(3) Accept a plea As a public official on the front line, the governor often receives various requests and petitions from the villagers. If it is within the governor’s ability, he can help, but if it is not, he asks the county councilors and other representatives of public opinion to help. In seeking the help of the elected representatives, the chief magistrate often selects the appropriate elected representatives according to the party color or inclination of the party concerned. For the elected representatives, accepting the pleadings or

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requests of the local governor and the local people is a great opportunity to serve the local people. If things are done properly for the local people, the local people will become their “volunteer propagandists,” helping the elected representatives establish a good reputation in the constituency. However, for the governor, entrusted by the people need to find a public opinion representative petition, the first consideration is their relationship with the public opinion representative. If you are close to someone, you seek that representative and ask for his. If the governor knows that he needs to appeal to the people’s political party colors, such as being more green, he would hand over the appeal to the Democratic Progressive Party’s elected representatives, with who is he good friends, thus avoiding the Kuomintang’s elected representatives. He knows that after providing the service, the people will still not identify with the KMT as a representative of the people.

1.3 Personal Relationship In addition to actively communicating with the people, the magistrate and the local gentry, on various occasions, along with local candidates for public office also make personal contacts with the magistrate, the director-general, and people of local standing through a variety of opportunities, such as private birthday parties, all kinds of dinner parties. Private parties are usually reserved for a local person who invites guests and pays the bill. But the truth is that the candidate will probably pay for the meal before or after the event. This effectively avoids the risk of a candidate being bribed and reduces the psychological stress of the invitees (who will also know which candidate paid the bill). A “special” dinner.3 Election bribery is rare these days, but there are plenty of people to buy you dinner. Not the candidates for public office themselves, but others, maybe the big boss of the community, the local people, the President of an association, and so on. They invite people whom the candidates do not know to network with the candidates. Many times, the candidate, to avoid suspicion, in the dinner meeting “will not” pay, but in fact the meal is already paid for. These private dinners may seem simple, but they are important to both candidates and invitees. For the candidate who arranged the dinner behind the scenes, the expansion of his personal resources helped to establish stakes and tie-downs and to obtain more votes; for the invitee, in addition to the village chief, there are also local influential people, such as the president of an association, the head of an association, and the president of a development association. They know that the candidates attach more importance to themselves and are in spotlight and talk happily; however, in the second half of the dinner, they use the opportunity to smoke outside and talk about some important matter.

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2 Installation and Binding of Piles During the Election Period Candidates for public office elections need enough votes to win the election. Given one’s limited influence, one needs a peg-leg to help stabilize the base of the vote. Each candidate has a certain basic set, only then does he have the strength to participate in the election. The peg-leg is usually someone who helps a candidate get votes. Based on its influence, it can be divided into big pile foot, middle pile foot, and small pile foot. After finding the foot of the pile, they go through the pile, use tied pile technology, and canvass for votes.

2.1 Tamping Down “Small Piles” Work in the grassroots line of village head is often regarded as a “small pile feet.” Because of long-term dealings with the Li people, for the Li people service, in the middle of the influence of Li people, is important. Candidates for public office can not only learn about the political orientation and attributes of the Li people, but also hear the demands of the voters, thereby facilitating the adjustment and improvement of their electoral political opinions, which could invite more votes. As a result, the local chief is often an important leg up for a candidate. Different candidates for public office have different constituency sizes. The larger the constituency, the more the need for pile placement, and the length of a reasonable arrangement of piles depicts a stable base plate. (1) Secure the foot of the post In the past, the culture of tying up stakes in elections was prevalent on the island, with all kinds of power struggles and even mafia forces operating in the elections. Later, with the gradual improvement of the electoral system, the practice of tying up stakes for vote-buying gradually decreased, but the village chief’s role as the foot of the stake still exists. There are four reasons for the close relationship between the candidate and the stake foot. First, the candidate and the stake foot are related by blood or kinship, the logic of “one down, one up” makes the two inseparable. The other is that the two candidates belong to the same political party or faction and form an electoral alliance for a common political pursuit. Third, there is an exchange of interests between the candidate and the stake foot, thus forming an alliance of interests. For instance, “under the table” money transactions, money and power transactions continue (elected for the pile leg to solve the work of their families or help them get the project). Fourth, the candidate and the stake foot share a common religious belief. By tying the stakes to each other through their own channels and conditions, the candidates have a firm grip on the vote. Confessions of a campaign director.4

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I was recommended by a friend to be the director-general of a candidate’s campaign for public office because of my loyalty and friendship. Campaign directors often hand out hundreds or even ten million NT dollars, and if he thinks about how he’s going to land, he’s going to blow it. As a campaign director, in fact, he is also the candidate’s “Big Leg.” Through my contacts and efforts, if I activate more small leg, the votes will be high, the candidate’s arch up, and will help the candidate “lift the sedan chair.” Although the main function of the stake foot is to add one vote to ten, and then from ten to a hundred or more, I pay attention to the character of the stake foot and the attitude toward money when I lay the stakes and tie the stakes. If the character of the pile foot is not good, it may directly affect the speed of “spreading branches and leaves”; if the money view of the pile foot is not good, it may directly affect the strength of the “spreading branches and leaves.” For example, I took some small pile foot of 50,000 yuan to Wang as cigarette money and hoped he would use this to develop Mr. Chen for the pile foot. Later, I asked Chen, “whether Wang sent 50,000 yuan of cigarette money.” Chen said, “No, he gave me 30,000.” This meant that Wang detained 20,000 yuan into his pocket. Such a small stake foot is not stable, and even if such a stake foot developed, it may be pulled out by competitors. As the saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together.” Among my network resources, many belong to the category of “Gentleman friend.” For a friend’s sake, even if I have to pay out of my own pocket, I still have to help them get the votes out. The so-called big head disease or ego refers to those who love to save face even if their ability is limited, but want to show their strength lest others look down upon them. As it turned out, the stakes were reliable, and the invoicing was very good. Of course, there are clever tricks using money in controlling the distribution of tickets to ensure that the invoice is not one-sided on the line. So, any candidate would like to be tied to a stake so that they can be counted in his favor.

(2) Stump for votes Those identified by the candidates as the foot of the post are those with greater local influence. Big Stakes can affect many voters, small stakes can affect a few people around them. For example, the governor can not only use his identity to provide a platform for candidates, propaganda opportunities, but also use the system to canvass for their votes and implement the party’s candidate ticket distribution operation. In general, a variety of events are held to rally people around the time of an election. The more the people involved, the better the publicity. At each event, the village chief, the foot of the post, would “carefully” stage speeches for specific candidates to help them make a name for themselves. If he publicizes what the candidate has done to the construction of the inside, he asks the people to support the candidate. At the same time, as a local governor of a region, he has the power to spread rumors and influence public opinion. In particular, the chief of the neighborhood, recycling volunteers, civil defense vigilantes, and patrol team volunteers and other systems, play a propaganda effect, influence the election wind, and the situation. As one county councilman put it, “The village chief is quite important. Don’t think that the village chief is not important now. It’s like a salesman selling a new product. As long as he keeps selling and selling, sales will come up.” The candidate is the village chief, who in turn is the neighborhood chief, a patrol and environmental volunteer. In particular, in the neighborhood, the appointment is completely determined by the governor, as are the general advance and retreat. This is why a new village chief has been appointed and a new crop of neighborhood

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chiefs have been replaced. According to the legal position of the neighborhood chief, he mainly assists in the conduct of public affairs in the neighborhood. One of the important tasks is to assist the neighborhood chief in the door-to-door distribution of election notices. This, then, is the moment to act as a foot in the door for a particular candidate. Compared with the governor, who is responsible for a smaller administrative area, he is more familiar with the people in the neighborhood, has a more accurate grasp of his political party orientation, personal character, and so on, and is more accurate in judging the results of the plebiscite. The patrol and environmental service volunteers often contact the mayor, day in and day out, inadvertently as they are “molded” as the mayor’s loyal supporters and the foot of the stake. By analyzing the ability to mobilize their own stake foot, a candidate’s long canvassing capacity can be seen. (3) Stumps for tickets When a number of candidates are “neck-to-neck”.5 in the race, they need to exert strong mobilization and canvassing ability to garner votes.6 The political parties generally recommend only one candidate for the same position as a single candidate (head of government at the county and township levels); political parties may recommend more than one candidate for the same position (Taiwan legislator, county councilor, town representative, etc.). In the second case, to achieve the election of as many candidates as possible and to make the best use of the votes, the political parties usually carry out the “allocation of votes” by means of stakes. For loyal supporters of a political party, voters do not recognize a candidate, only the party. Political parties therefore allocate their votes differently depending on the number of seats in the same public office. If there are four seats, divided by the season in which the voter’s birthday falls, such as those born between January and March, the vote is for a particular candidate; if there are three seats, voters may vote for a particular candidate on the basis of the last digit of the identity card number (1–3, 4–6, 7–9); in the case of two seats, voters may vote for a particular candidate based on their gender. The idea is to ensure an equal distribution of votes and the election of every candidate of the party.

2.2 Tighten the “Middle Stake” To obtain votes, candidates for public office, in addition to face-to-face contact with the public, shake hands with them and entreat the public. Using the foundation stakes, they also need to expand the “organization stakes” and “system stakes,” that is, medium-sized stakes, to increase their vote pool. This is because no matter how often a candidate travels to the grassroots, a lot of people will be out of reach. The socalled “Organization vote” or “System vote” refers to the vote of an organization as a unit, and the entire organization to support a particular candidate. Organization votes are usually allocated by the leader of the organization, who decides which candidate members of the organization should be supported. Although not every member of

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an organization votes as directed by the leader of the organization, the members of such an organization have a deeper emotional bond and interact more frequently on a daily basis, and the majority of the members will basically vote according to the directions of the organization. Leaders of “medium-sized stake-foot” organizations, which do not mandate members to vote for a particular candidate, often use group events to give candidates a chance to show themselves before an election, to reinforce the members’ sense of identity. In the process of election, the leader of the organization will gently advise or arrange the relevant people in the organization to form some kind of leading public opinion. There are many such organization tickets, such as the president of the association, the president of the temple, and so on. Visiting relatives at night.7 As campaign director, I ran around the candidate’s constituency trying to dig up potential stumps, particularly large- and medium-sized ones that could affect hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of people. I moved to Puli after work. I’m from another village, and there are many relatives there. As it’s an Aboriginal area, the community is relatively intact, and the elders have a lot of influence there. To canvass for votes, I went back one night to visit the patriarch with a gift to tell him about the candidate and the local benefits I might bring if he were elected in the future. I had to first convince him to endorse the candidate, then ask him to use his influence to get votes. In accordance with the usual practice, in addition to preparing a small gift for him, I also set aside a portion of money. However, for the sake of my ancestor’s face, I explicitly told him that the money was to ask him to buy favors for his friends and to buy them drinks and cigarettes, and that it’s not for him. If it’s not enough, he can talk to me again, and I’ll talk to the candidate. That’s what I said, but I know he can do whatever he wants; even if he keeps all the money in his bag, it is fine so long as he pulls out the votes. As it turned out, I was betting on the right thing, and they did a great job at that polling place!

2.3 Deep Excavation for “Diving Piles” In addition to the big, medium, and small types of pile feet, there is a hidden pile, which the local people call a “Thunderbolt.” Based on its power, it can be divided into Big Bang Thunder or small Thunder. The so-called Thunderbolt, refers to those who have been “hidden” or have “dived” into the pile feet, with high prestige, influence, and strong appeal. The reason they are called “hidden” or diving is because these posts are often overlooked by candidates, even if the candidate was dug out and “tied,” he will not be noticed by competitors. Regardless of its power, when an invoice is issued, it can create an “unexpected” effect. In terms of influence, a Thunderbolt can be big or small. From the work of the “Thunderbolt,” the influence of the “Pile Foot” on the table becomes weaker than that under the table. As the people on the table are concerned by a wide variety of voters, the impact is more diverse. However, an under the table person, generally has his own unique domain or region, whose influence is relatively unitary or competent

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executive authoritiesized. At the same time, this type of peg often has two sides, with one having a negative impact and is sometimes difficult to cut. For example, with the support of her husband, Lin Youhai, the founder of Puli Town’s Corporate Liang Xiantang Social Welfare Foundation, Chen chou initiated the establishment of the “Yuqing Gong LiangXian tang Charity Club,” which was the first to offer scholarships for outstanding students from poor areas, gradually expanded it to offer medical treatment, poverty relief, counseling, and other services for young people. Not just in Puli, Nantou County, but in Taiwan, she won’t stand up for a candidate, but it’s enough if she praises a candidate once in her life. Many of her volunteers and followers trust Chen’s observation and judgment. So, if we can get Chen to speak for the candidate, we can increase our odds by 10%. Puli’s mayor, Liao zhicheng, a DPP candidate, went to the grassroots level with good intentions. Lai Qingde’s visit to Hu Tou Shan on July 30, 2018, became a burden to Liao Zhicheng, a Member of Parliament. In general, the same party membership of the Competent executive authorities premier helped the candidate in the constituency auxiliary election. Due to the poor performance of the Democratic Progressive Party, the stage of the “Thunderbolt” has set to become a negative effect. Thanks to the “Thunderbolt” the old chief dug up for me.8 At the Chung Tai Chan headquarters in Puli, there live over 2,000 monastic families. Since they belong to the Kuomintang and were on good terms, the vote was surprisingly unanimous. So, they could have voted for a county councilman. Any candidate for public office in Yishin, whether elected as a member of Parliament, a town representative or a local governor, will be elected as long as he can work well with the leaders of the competent administrative authorities and Taiwan. Later, there were protests, more than 200 people in competent executive authorities Taiwan scattered to the Beimen, Xi’nan, and Tongsheng, and other economic and trade offices in Columbarium. When I first chose the local magistrate, I spent quite some time with the resident monks. But it doesn’t matter how long they stay in business, because they all have to take orders from their new headquarters during the election. When I ran for my first term, there was no five-in-one, seven-in-one. Those who don’t make it to the town council, they switch and run for mayor, so, you know, those mayors are pretty competitive. I won the first election by only 12 votes. To tell the truth, without the votes of the six monks of Zhongtai Zen Temple, I would have lost the election. As all the six monks voted for me, the other side lost six votes. If we vote for each other, we’ll both have the same number. I still remember the first time I went to smooth things out with their abbot. It was like going through an exam, an oral exam. When I went to visit the abbot, he asked me some practical questions, which were common, for instance, how to deal with the issue of cemeteries. My answer may have pleased the abbot. But I think he’ll report back to headquarters based on my answer. At that time, I was able to dig up an important “Thunderbolt” thanks to the previous director of the point. The candidate I was running against wasn’t a local, he’d moved from out of town, and he wouldn’t have thought of the six votes of a monk compared to mine. At that time, there was only one car with a capacity of 9 people in Zhongtai Zen temple. At the time of voting, they were all in groups of 9 people, voting in batches in turn. They don’t schedule their voting at the end of the day like other voters do, but they vote early and go home as if it were a mission. As they were the first to vote, they were at the bottom of the ballot box. When you open a ticket, you look from the top and take it down. In the beginning, I was consistently losing, but I persisted. In the end, I thought I was going to lose, but I didn’t realize that all six votes on the last floor were mine. If it wasn’t for the Thunderbolt, I wouldn’t have won.

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3 Fixing and Pulling Out Piles During the Election Period 3.1 Setting up Dummy Posts As the number of stumps is directly related to the final vote, candidates often try to reduce the number of stumps by setting up dummy stumps in tough elections, or they try to effectively curb the influence of rivals to reduce the pressure of thinking about their own votes. When setting up the dummy stakes, the candidate first makes an accurate analysis of the “Enemy situation.” Empty pile personnel, generally is not the other side’s core pile foot, and this kind of pile foot is difficult to obtain, but the edge of the pile foot sways strong. For candidates, the point of a dummy stake is not how many votes it generates, but how effectively it reduces or diminishes the influence of the stumps on behalf of rivals. Therefore, whether it is first tied pile, or later tied pile, as long as you can set a good virtual pile, it can have a certain effect. Dummy stake.9 The so-called false stake is a false stake foot used not to canvass for votes, but to reduce the impact of play, to avoid the stake foot canvassing for others. It’s like tying a horse to a tree and holding it there so that he can’t get away. In fact, I used a little bit of benefit to tie this peg leg, although he did not play our real peg leg canvassing role, but his ability to canvass for other candidates was tied by me. After all, people have feelings, and there is a bottom line; he took my money, he cannot brazenly canvass for a wide range of other candidates. There is, of course, the possibility of double-dipping. It doesn’t matter to us, however, as long as we do it to suppress the votes of our opponents.

3.2 Timely Consolidation of Piles As the election campaign heats up, the two sides are locked in a bitter contest. Their respective arrangements of the pile foot are likely to become the object of differentiation and excavation of competitors. When they get a bit of information about the loosening of the piles, the candidates will respond positively and choose different ways and means to fix the piles according to the different types. (1) Show respect Generally, no matter whether it is the Aborigine electorate or the regular electorate, the Farmer’s Association is quite simple. The stakes are relatively simple, and even a passing visit to the candidate’s home to exchange pleasantries and make tea will convince the other side that the candidate and his team look up to him and are willing to help him win votes. In general, the members of the campaign of such local people can be tied to the stake. However, when competitors pull out the stakes, candidates need to be taken seriously. If the campaign director-general arranges time for the candidates, he will invite the candidates to visit the house in person after making an appointment with the stumps. Either the candidate goes alone with a gift or is

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accompanied by a member of the campaign; in either case, the rural farmer will feel valued. Candidates will also write their “private phone number” on a business card to the peg foot, so that the peg foot can make timely contact with the candidate. Farmers tend to be simple. Give them enough respect, and they’ll consider you a friend. When I was digging the foot of a farmer’s stake, all I had to do was drink tea with them and give them gifts like tea leaves. Due to the size of my constituency, like the legs of dozens of ballots, candidates rarely have time to visit in person. When I’m in the middle of a conversation with this local, I’ll call the candidate in his presence and say I’m at someone’s house in blah blah blah blah, and I’ll tell you which gentleman. He’s at home now. I’m at his house making tea and wine. You talk to him. He’ll know what I’m talking about at a glance, and he’ll say how much I’d like to visit you, but I’m sorry to come over. I’ll ask so-and-so to go first, so I’ll come another day. And it was this simple phone call that made him feel comfortable enough to canvass for our votes. But when faced with a peg-leg like ours, the candidate would drop in when “appropriate,” either alone, or with the go-between. Mostly the candidate goes alone. This not only gives two people free chat space in privacy, but it also gives the pile feet enough respect and attention. Of course, when a candidate comes to the door, he will bring a small gift, or a gift that the other party will accept or be willing to accept.10

(2) Confirm the agreement At stake-tying, there may be a tacit understanding between the candidate and his agent (running for the post of director-general, etc.) and the stake-foot to form cooperation. When the peg leg is “tempted” by a competitor, the candidate will not hesitate to re-engage and make the appropriate commitment based on the peg leg’s expectations. Some of them want the candidate to be elected so that they can take over the project, some of them want to use the candidate to arrange their own work, and some of them want to help their relatives find a contract job. Of course, such contacts and operations are done “under the table.” Fixing a stake is when you see the stake’s foot wobble, and then you raise the stakes if you can. When you raise the stakes with him, make it clear that you respect his personal choices and don’t interfere in his personal relationships with his friends, but just make sure that the votes are well written and that they don’t all turn out the way you want them to. If the other party accepts your money, he will try to turn the vote over.11

(3) Satisfy your vanity Some are bigger stakes hope to boost their self-esteem by taking advantage of their position as candidates (and elected local executive heads). This kind of pile foot, the local people call the “Wind God.” You can even buy your own votes to save face. The campaign director said that, “In general, this kind of pile feet have strong financial strength, and they prefer to enter the support club by donating money. This way, not only can they show their friendship with a certain candidate to others, but they can also be a ‘back door’ to the candidate after he is elected. In the future, if someone has something, they can ask him to talk about it. The effect is good.” A candidate can give enough of a sense of accomplishment by arranging dinners and feasts for their friends. Just tell the guests at the dinner table, “This so-and-so candidate specifically

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invites you,” and the peg foot is willing to pay for their own. It’s not about anything else. It’s about pride. “Spy”-lurking.12 The peg leg of any candidate would not one, but a system of peg legs ranging from large to small. Even if it is the same level of pile feet, such as big pile feet, small pile feet, it will not be one, but many. Relatively speaking, large pile feet are easier to notice, small pile feet are hidden and difficult to find. In the same area, often is the size of the pile feet shows staggered distribution and not ventilation. After I had laid and tied the stakes, I would often go around and have a chat over a cup of tea. If I asked you who the person was over there, I would “accidentally” know the movements of the stakes’ feet in the area, if it’s approaching close. We then take the corresponding measures to reinforce the piles as soon as we know the loosening of the pile feet. It’s like an aircraft carrier on this side and a frimen on the other side; you can see it. But down there in the sub, people don’t necessarily know. But stealthy submarines, like the SPY, keep a close eye on the surface.

(4) Dare to pull out the stakes To get more votes and increase the chances of being elected, candidates often pull out stakes and dismantle them in secret to remove their opponents’ sources of votes. In addition to direct public relations competitors of the peg, they also scoop and split votes and other technical means, reduce the number of votes of competitors, and increase their own vote share. Removal of piles. Pile demolition indicates how one side will ensure the pile foot “removal” or damage for use by the other side. In general, the stakes are often removed because the relationship with the candidate is loose, leaving room for the other candidate. If the other party finds such a loose peg foot, it will actively look for a suitable intermediary or breakthrough, quickly establish contact with it, and reach a compromise with the peg foot. The removal of pile feet, can be described as a “double-sided move,” which generally involves receiving money from both sides. As long as money comes from both sides, he will take the initiative to match votes within the electorate he can control. To be opened, not only do not offend the original “assist” candidates, but also satisfy the competitors. Pile feet are also removed or let go if they fail to match the ticket, to avoid embarrassing results, which can lead one to hide, or escape. Ticket-scooping and splitting. Among the electorate, both candidates have their own iron vote. The so-called “iron vote” refers to voters and a candidate having a certain relationship, or kinship, or economic interests, or a certain agreement by which voters will not hesitate to vote for a specific candidate. However, a directorgeneral with campaign experience, canvassing for a particular candidate, often goes deep into the “lion’s den,” digging for votes in iron silos by dismantling and pulling out stakes. Although it is difficult to dig up a candidate’s iron vote directly, through the “Division” form one can dig for votes. If a family borrows a sum of money from a candidate, it will not hesitate to vote for the candidate who has helped it to express gratitude or repay a “favor.” Through psychological work, the competitors convinced him to give 10% to 40% of the total votes in his family to another candidate, thus successfully dividing the votes in the Iron Bank and achieving the goal of poaching votes, which will have a direct impact on the combined votes of the two candidates.

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Ticket-scooping and splitting.13 In general, each candidate has their own vote base. Such voters make up at least 20% of the electorate in the region. That 20% is the candidate’s ticket. In this case, we usually ensure that pass is not a waste of time. However, when the two sides face a close competition, we try to go to the other side of the vote, that is, pile removal. If you can take the other person’s leg off or pull it off, you can reduce the number of votes they get. As the influence of the pile foot is large, it is not easy to pull out and dismantle piles, but there have been some successful cases. Furthermore, although it is unlikely that the family votes in the Iron Bank can be reversed, their votes can be distributed to achieve the goal of collecting votes. While there is no change in the family vote in the two candidates’ preferences, in broad terms it is likely to affect the overall vote count of the competitors. If a family has five votes in total and has been indebted to candidate A, they will vote for candidate A with all five votes. Your opponent might say to you in your job description, “There are five votes in your family, all for candidate A, that’s right. But candidate A may not be elected, and if not, what’s in it for your family? If you vote three for A, two for B, it won’t affect your family’s support for A, and you don’t Lose A, you just make one more friend. And this friend, (B), if he is elected, it will be equally convenient for you to find him to do business with; if “A” is elected, he’s still connected to you. If B is elected, he will also consider himself a good friend, and he will be more well-connected. Whether it is to steal votes or divide votes, one must not slander or smear their support of the candidate, but clearly affirm the other side’s choice, while providing them with more options and reference. For a given family, the alternatives are far more likely to be successful than the “0 and 1” options.

Notes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

20,180,729 interview audio collation. 20,180,728 interview audio collation. 20,180,728 interview audio collation. 20,180,824 interview audio collation. Several people competed for the same role, as several Kuomintang candidates ran for county councillors. garner votes is one of the “Oddities” in Taiwan’s elections. It is a strategy to get the largest number of votes by making full use of the votes. In the Single non-transferable vote, instead of being elected by the highest number of votes, each candidate is elected only if he or she leads in the number of seats he or she is elected, thus, a political party or coalition maximizes the number of elected seats for a political party by organizing, mobilizing or calling on voters to automatically allocate their votes to a candidate who is likely to be elected, so that he or she meets the threshold for election, avoid the waste of votes caused by the high number of votes cast by individual candidates. 20,180,824 interview audio collation. 20,180,819 interview audio collation. 20,180,824 interview audio collation. 20,180,824 interview audio collation. 20,180,824 interview audio collation. 20,180,825 interview audio collation. 20,180,825 interview audio collation.

Chapter 12

The Behavior and Relationship of Political Participation in Grassroots Governance

In the politics of daily life, people of Nantou County, either as individuals or in groups (temporary or fixed), actively participate in the political process in various ways, such as through making appeals, holding conferences, conducting demonstrations for publicity, and performing social supervision, thereby influencing government decisions directly or indirectly. In this process of people’s political participation, they exhibit a series of behaviors and hold several types of relations with local public opinion representatives, grassroots and local government executive heads, and other civil society organizations. This chapter describes the contents and forms of political participation of the people in Nantou County and Puli.

1 The Behaviors and Forms of Individual Political Participation 1.1 Making Representations in Accordance with the Law “The key points to be considered by the Nantou County Government and its agencies in handling people’s petition cases (hereinafter referred to as ‘Key Points’)” are that county residents have the right to make suggestions for reforms in the Nantou County Government and the right to expose administrative violations; they also have the right to safeguard their own administrative rights and interests and may make representations in writing (including through e-mails, faxes, etc.) to the relevant authorities. Upon receipt of an application, the administrative authorities are required to not only assign staff to handle and listen to the case but also exercise due care in accordance with the principles of legality, reasonableness, promptness, and certainty. In response to the people’s petition, if “an administrative sanction is clearly illegal or improper, such as when a decision is taken much later than the legal period within which it had to be declare, the original organ declaring the administrative sanction © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4_12

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or its superior may revoke the sanction or change it ex officio.” The people of the county may then, in accordance with their individual needs, submit petitions to the relevant authorities as per the law to safeguard their interests. For instance, Lin Mingzhen, the Nantou County magistrate, realized the inconveniences caused to people in remote mountain areas that were inaccessible due to lack of motorable roads. Lin Mingzhen took the initiative to change the way the office not only shortened the distance to address the people’s grievances but also shortened the time taken to deal with the problem. To explain further, among the 13 towns and villages of Nantou County, many of them are located in mountainous areas, and people who wish to make representations to the county government find it difficult to do so because of lack of convenient transportation. Understanding the needs of the county residents, the county chief took the initiative to act promptly, with the slogan “Action County Chief,” and led a “Mobile Government” deep into the remote villages and towns to evaluate, sign official documents, and contract out projects on the spot, meeting people face-to-face, and resolving their grievances. According to statistics, through the “County Time” mobile office, the Nantou County chief has held 28 sessions and accepted 608 cases from 2015 to October 2018. The number of submissions received in 2018 was significantly lower than in the past.1

1.2 Public–Official Interactions In addition to directly submitting written or verbal representations to the relevant departments of the Nantou County Government, individual county residents can also avail opportunities such as “County People’s time” hosted by the county magistrate and “Coffee Time” hosted by the mayor of Puli to meet the county magistrate and the mayor, respectively, face-to-face and put forth their demands and suggestions, which will help local governments adjust their own governance concepts, priorities, or methods in a timely manner to improve the well-being of the county and township residents. The local governments understand that it is their basic responsibility to improve infrastructure and make people’s lives convenient and safe. Water for irrigation and road leveling form the basis of people’s production and life. Given the size of the Nantou County Government, it is not easy for the county government to keep track of what is happening and what is required. When county residents fill the requisite forms in accordance with the “County People’s time” requirements, at the designated time and place, the county head can meet the residents face-to-face and enquire about their problems. These interactions between the officials and the people help the county government not only in keeping abreast of the situation at the grassroots level but also in mitigating the problems faced by the county people, thus ensuring their well-being. “County people time” accepts individual petitions of county people2 On August 25, 2017, county magistrate Lin Mingzhen presided over “County Time” at the Xinyi Township Health Center, accepting seven cases, mainly including general road

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improvement, drainage ditches, school runways, Rona village grave relocation, and other issues. Among them, 62 were of flooding causing road collapse, embankment breaching, and loss of housing and other issues, which were more significant. Presently, there are regulations for disaster repair works. New cases of road collapse cannot meet the subsidy conditions without the old hardware facilities. As a result, the damage cannot be repaired unless the impact is very severe. It is quite unreasonable, since any landslide is related to the lives of the people and safety of passage, and the government should do its utmost to help and hope that the project will be able to consider relaxing the relevant requirements. Further, the nine-story pit connection road at No. 1545 of Mingde section needed to be improved as the ground sank and collapsed due to heavy rain. The head of Lin County instructed the public works office to include disaster repair and construction works to seek funds for improvement. He also suggested that the higher-level governments should revise the relevant provisions on disaster repair subsidies to meet the actual needs of the localities.

1.3 Public Supervision The Nantou County District Attorney’s Office is responsible for investigating, prosecuting, and directing the execution of criminal judgments. It also focuses on the eradication of corruption and the enforcement of anti-triad crimes. The county council and the Town People’s Congress, as the supervisory organs of the county government and the town government, question the governance of the local and grassroots governments during the session. When an individual of a county or town discovers that the executive head of the local government has committed an illegal act, they may report the matter to the procuratorial organ. For example, He Huijuan, the representative of the people of Puli Town, has always been concerned about the financial situation of Puli Town office. In view of her doubts regarding the financial situation of the town office, she not only had the courage to ask questions at the Town People’s Congress but also dared to report some evidence to the Nantou County District Attorney’s office to urge the work or governance of the town hall to change or adjust accordingly. The representative of the town accused the mayor of corruption3 On October 8, 2018, the representative of Puli Town, He Huijuan, went to the district attorney’s office and rang the bell to report that the total number of packages for the construction of Puli Town office in three months had reached 108, of which 18 were at the time of the first tender, the bid price was the same as the reserve price, and in 99% of the 108 cases, the difference was less than 5%, with the vast majority of the bids going to specific vendors on a rotating basis, compared with three months in the last term of former mayor Ma Wenjun, a total of 20 project contracts, and that the gap is extremely wide. He Huijuan said that the Puli Town office had already paid an additional 87.5 million yuan in black boxes in May. These people have put money into the “road improvement” project, which has exploded in the last three months, and the quality of the project is low because of the rush for acceptance, and it is reasonable to suspect that the high-level officials of Puli Township public office have used the tactic of “advance payment” and “explosive quantity” to make money in the short term. She handed over the concrete evidence to the Nantou District Attorney’s office. Through the judicial process, she wants to let the truth be known about the vicious collusion between officials and businessmen.

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He Huijuan pointed out that people in the engineering field who are familiar with the government procurement case revealed to her that this is more accurate than the “Betting Cup lottery,” which represents the collusion between the senior management of Puli Town office and the contractor, to ensure fast acceptance of the contract acceptance and leakage of the reserve price to profit from specific manufacturers. He Huijuan said that she had obtained information on the major tenderers in the past three months and had noted a connection between the senior management of Puli Town Hall, in the run up to the change of government, and Tully, a certain contractor, thus leading to squandering the people’s tax money. She also stressed that the election of the public prosecutor’s office at this time had nothing to do with the election, but that the town people’s representative committee was entrusted by the town people to supervise the public office; however, to evade supervision, the public office postponed the regular meeting that should have been held in October until after the elections, so it had no choice but to make the matter public before the mayor left office and to ring the bell to inform the Nantou District Attorney’s office, to hand over the information to the Justice Department for investigation, so that the truth will come out.

2 The Behavior and Form of Temporary Group Political Participation To realize their own interests, when individuals face the same problem, they quickly form a temporary “interest group” through the channels of acquaintance society, network platform, and media propaganda. For example, to fight against air pollution, the local mothers in Puli formed “Puli PM 2.5 Air Pollution Reduction Self-help Society” opposing the construction of the asphalt plant, and they called it “Puli Public Environmental Protection Alliance”. To prevent tree-cutting practices of Puli Town office, the townspeople formed “Puli in-situ care and Protection of Trees Alliance” and actively carried out dialogue with the grassroots government, changing the direction of governance.

2.1 Representations and Appeals When the interests of the people of a region are threatened, it is easy to form a temporary group or organization with a common goal through spontaneous action to make representations to the related government department. For instance, in 2017, a funeral home was planned to be built in the seventh cemetery of Wugong Li, in Puli, but this project encountered strong resistance from the people. To ensure that the environment in the Wugong Li is not destroyed, a “self-help society” was formed by Huang meiyu, the village chief of Wugong li. The self-help club president and representatives went to Puli town office to make a statement. Mayor Zhou Yixiong accepted the statement and went to the Wugong Li to hold a briefing and remove any doubts in the minds of the residents regarding the construction of the funeral home. Similarly, Puli’s Lancheng and Dacheng villagers faced problems in 2000 about the construction of a local asphalt plant by Hondo Enterprises. Since it was a highly

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polluting project, the two mile people believe that the its construction would threaten the health and well-being of the local people in Dapu. After repeated protests by selfhelp groups formed by local residents, a group concerned about public environmental issues formed the Puli Public Environmental Protection Alliance to devote all efforts to the “Save Dapu” campaign and fight for people’s right to survival and cleaner environment, and to block the inappropriate decision-making of the public sector. Led by the Puli Coalition for public environmental protection, by collecting evidence regarding asphalt plant pollution, information from experts, scholars, and conservation groups, written and online petitions were sent besides 1,000 people marching to defend their homes and hold public hearings and other activities. This not only awakened environmental awareness in Puli, but also placed enormous pressure on the Nantou County Government. In May 2004, the Nantou County Government revoked the fixed source installation permit and the manufacturer’s factory registration for the asphalt plant.

2.2 Appeal and Publicity When the interests of the people are threatened or violated, apart from petitions self-organization (“Puli in-situ care tree alliance”) and various channels can be used to publicize the issue and attract more people to join the cause, thus increasing the negotiation ability between the self-help associations and the local government. For example, in 2015, Puli Town office received several reports from Tonsheng Li and nearby residents regarding the issues of house ants that had been plaguing the residents for years. When the town office received the petition, it was found that in addition to the problem of ant damage, there were also soggy roots of trees on the roadside that had pressed down on the original wooden footpath, resulting in uneven road surface and even endangering the function of the dike. To this end, the Puli Town office obtained NT $14 million from the “construction department” to improve the pedestrian footpath beside the embankment, to transplant 161 walk trees from the footpath to elsewhere, plant cherry blossoms instead. After this policy proposal was rejected because of the tree protection group, issues worsens. Although the residents of Tongsheng Li and its vicinity are plagued by house ants, the “tree protection groups alliance” and “Puli Local Tree Care Alliance” are of the view that trees purify the air, and Puli is heavily polluted with a pollution index of PM2.5. Although mayor Zhou Yixiong claimed that trees were moved, the survival rate of transplanted trees in Taiwan is extremely low, which is equivalent to killing or cutting down trees. Therefore, by moving large trees and small trees, there were doubts cast on the public office that declared its commitment to air pollution reduction and calls for people to go online to the mayor’s mailbox or Zhou Yixiong’s Facebook to express their opposition. With the increasing publicity and influence of “Puli local tree care alliance,” the Puli Town office made many efforts to explain, but since many more voices against it have been raised, it had to call off the tree removal.

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Protect the trees at Puli, let the town breathe!4 The “Save the trees, Save the town” parade, jointly sponsored by the Taiwan Tree Protection Group and the Puli Tree Care Alliance, was held in Puli on the 17th, attracting hundreds of people from all over the country and Puli to help older adults and the youth to participate. The dispute was about “Tree moving and protecting.” In addition to members of the Taiwan Tree Protection Union from the competent executive authorities region, many people from the Puli region came to support the tree protection rally in front of the House of the first tree in the town yesterday morning. Before the parade, the Tree Protection Group staged an action play saying, don’t move the tree. After shouting slogans, they started a large parade. The procession stretched hundreds of meters from Nan ‘an road to the new circle and back again The parade included a 90-yearold woman in a wheelchair pushed by her son, a mother holding a 2-year-old girl, a dog on a leash, and a child on a skateboard. The South Puli Road site was covered with billboards and banners for “Tree protection” and against “Tree moving” forming a strong contrast: “Mayor please spare my life, long ants is not my fault, I want to live, let me live”. Another said, “Please respect the local voice! Who will protect the safety of residents? Residents want environment safety. Do not move trees.” The mayor of Puli, Zhou Yixiong, said the town office could consider withdrawing from the tree removal project to ensure social antagonism and disharmony is not exacerbated, but he was concerned about the safety of the embankments, which required reconsideration.

2.3 Discussion and Dialogue More than 1200 hectares of farmland in the Dapingding area of Puli town are affected by the platform topography and the lack of an irrigation system. Many local farmers had to dig wells to find water, taking turns to sub-irrigation, sometimes competing for water, or even leading to disputes. Agricultural production is often severely affected when adequate water supplies are not available on agricultural land. Farmers in the Dapingding area have repeatedly made representations to the “Agricultural Committee” and have communicated with the Water Conservancy Association for many years in the hope that this area will be included in the Nantou Farmland Water Conservancy Association’s high irrigation area in Shenzhen, due to the problems of water rights, irrigation facilities and land. Some farmers also show disapprobation to the charging standard, and this assumption has not been realized for many years. In August 2017, with the joint efforts of the farmers in Dapingding, local public opinion representatives, the farmland and Water Conservancy Association of Nantou County, and the “Agricultural Committee,” reached a consensus after a number of discussions; furthermore, the Irrigation Association agreed to expand the service area to include 670 hectares of farmland in the Dapingding area. Farmers will have to spend less money, have access to adequate water, and guaranteed yield and quality of their crops. Puli Tai Ping Peak area expansion project: regional case presentation and advocacy group5

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On the morning of August 21, 2017, Nantou Farm Irrigation Association held the “2017 expanding cause of regional case description and advocacy meeting” at the activity center of Hechengli Taiping community, Jiapu Li Town, co-chaired by Xie Shengxin. The director of the Council of Agriculture, and Lin Gengxin, chairman of the Water Conservancy Association, “Taiwan legislator,” Ma Wenjun, Nantou County Councilors Liao zhicheng, Wang Caiyun, and Antonio Ng, and other local representatives attended. The sensitive issue of bringing non-irrimend areas under irrimend areas led to concerns about influx of people into these areas, as per the members of the former irrimend areas and the farmers of the new irrimend areas. President Lin explained the plan, Nantou County Puli Town Dapingding area of 670 hectares of high-quality agricultural land will be included in the Irrigation District Water Conservancy. The plan to include the Tai Ping Ding area into the irrigation district is divided into two stages. The first stage is to the east of Xi’an Road Commercial Zone, which is the area currently in operation, a total of 148 hectares of private land, including Tiezhiwei, the top of the Tietading, Yangbailiao, the operating station and Zhuzaijiao. Further, 121 hectares of agricultural land in Taiwan’s sugar industry, totaling 269 hectares, are expected to be incorporated into the irrigation district by the end of this year. The second phase covers about 400 hectares of private agricultural land on the western side of Xi’an Road Commercial Zone, including the Beiping Primary School, Tai Ping Primary School, Songbailun and dayanding. The second phase of the water supply project is being processed and is expected to be completed by the end of next year. As for our Fuxing station members, they are worried that the formal incorporation of the farmland in Dapingding into the irrigation district will affect the water rights and interests of the former members of the irrigation district and lead to competition for water resources and lack of cooperation. Gao Zhongyi, Group Leader of the management group, explained that Dapingding is mainly dry, and that water consumption is much lower than that of the bamboo shoot field of Fuxing station. He also said that water loss is minimal due to full pipe irrigation. However, the irrigation reservoir can store water during the off-peak time at night, and the precise water distribution measures such as irrigation management and hydrological automatic measuring and reporting system would ensure that the water rights and interests of the members of Fuxing station are not affected. Additionally, Dapingding is located on a high terrain. The irrigation water supply to the area comes from Jiuxianxi, Ren‘ai township. The water is transported for more than 10 kilometers, and the pressure and pumping costs are high. The maintenance equipment and electricity costs are high. For farmers to enjoy high-quality irrigation facilities and maintain water order in irrigation areas, besides continuing to seek subsidies from the government, farmers will be charged a lower operating and maintenance cost than the current unit price; he assured the farmers that the charges will be reasonable. The Villages were concerned about the rights and interests of farmers and affirmed the government’s policy of expanding irrimend areas and taking care of farmers. In his speech, Ma Wenjun affirmed the policy, believing that the division of irrigation areas and non-irrigation areas involves historical factors, and that the government and the Water Conservancy Association have the wisdom of coordinating and integrating the project by considering the interests of member farmers and choose the best way to deal with it to ensure that all the farmers are protected.

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3 The Behavior and Form of the Fixed Group’s Political Participation 3.1 Regular Meetings (1) Conditions of Convening In accordance with Article 60 of the local system law, the Nantou County Government passed “Regulations on the implementation of self-government by the Nantou County Village People’s Assembly” (hereinafter referred to as “Regulations”). “Regulations” provides that when the village (sub-district) director receives the village (sub-district), more than one-tenth of the household heads should request for a meeting, it should be actively convened, and related matters should be discussed after preparation. When a village (sub-district) assembly is held, a certain minimum number of households must be involved before a meeting can be held. If the total number of households in a village (sub-district) is less than 100, representatives of more than 10 households shall be present; if the total number of households is more than 100 and less than 1,000, representatives of more than one tenth of the households shall be present. When the total number of households is more than 1,000, representatives of more than one 120 households shall be present. When a motion is put to a vote, it shall be passed by a majority of the people present in the village (subdistrict). If the village (sub-district) does not have a place for meeting, the school or any other public place can be used to hold the village (sub-district) people assembly. The person in charge of a school or public place shall be given priority in borrowing and the venue shall be given free of charge. (2) Attendees When convening a village (sub-district) people’s assembly, in addition to the participation of the village (sub-district) people, the relevant business units of the township public in the village (Town) where the assembly is held shall be required; for instance, primary and secondary schools, police stations, land administration offices, household affairs offices, health offices, tax offices, agricultural and Water Conservancy Associations (workstations), agricultural and fishery associations, business offices or service offices in the district under the power company, operation or service offices under the Water Company, and other relevant units are required to attend the meeting. Since these units are part pf the village (sub-district) production and life, the local village (sub-district) people should be involved in asking questions, which can be answered on the spot. (3) Discussion According to the regulations, the assembly of villagers shall mainly decide on matters relating to the village or between the village and the other villages regarding reforms, handling of various donations, proposals of the office of the village (sub-district) and the suggestions of the people relating to the hearing of reports on the work of the

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office of village, inquiries to the office -village (sub-district), recognition of good people and good de-RRB-n the village (sub-district), assistance in the execution of decrees or to the hearing of decrees and advocacy of decrees, and so on apart from other public matters. The zhongcun (sub-district) convention mainly includes neighborhood watch and help, pollution control, environmental protection, public health, promotion of proper entertainment, attendance for meetings and rules that village (sub-district) people should abide by the daily life. At least two people from the village (sub-district) may submit a proposal to the village (sub-district) people’s assembly 5 days before the convening of the village (sub-district) people’s assembly; a provisional motion may also be submitted. The village (sub-district) assembly can be abolished6 Generally, a meeting of the People’s Congress is held once a year in each prefecture. Although the situation is different in each town, in the competent executive authorities area of Puli, where people are too busy to gather or problems are resolved in time, the Richmond Assembly wasn’t held when my dad was mayor. To encourage and ensure the holding of annual village assemblies in each village, the Nantou County Government provides funds for the implementation of proposals in each village assembly, which is mainly used for public facilities, small-scale projects, and public works projects, ranging from NT $90,000 to NT $200,000. However, in accordance with the provisions of the “Scheme of financial assistance for the implementation of proposals made by Village People’s Congresses of villages, towns, and cities in Nantou County,” a certain proportion of the number of people required to apply for funds for the implementation of proposals made by Village People’s Congresses needs to be guaranteed. If there are less than 300 households, the attendance rate shall exceed 40%; if there are between 30 and 600 households, the attendance rate shall not be less than 30%; if there are between 600 and 900 households, the attendance rate should exceed 20%; if the number of households exceeds 900, the attendance rate should exceed 10%. If there are fewer residents, it would be easier; If, for example, there are more than 9,000 people in Pipa, and at least 900 people in meetings, how should they be conducted? In implementing the recommendations regarding meeting funds, we generally offer small gifts to people, such as soy sauce, salad oil, and other daily necessities. According to the relevant law, the value of the gift cannot exceed 30 yuan. If the meeting is held like this, no one will come, and the governor will not push for it. If it was difficult to get the numbers, some had to attend through proxy. This is why we didn’t have another meeting. When the inner assembly is held, the head of the town office will be present with the person in charge of each section, including civil affairs, public works, and so on, because of the on-the-spot responses to people’s issues. Turns out, that worked pretty well. But now, Li Min has no way to get things done; he must talk to the mayor. Like who’s gonna fence the road? That’s my land. How are we gonna fix this? We’ll see what we can do. We don’t have to wait for the meeting. It’s not easy. Things like this. Issues that can be easily resolved, such as gutters or streetlights, can be entered in a book, immediately registered, and in two or three days they are repaired. If it is the gutters, call the cleaning crew right away and get it done. There is no need to wait for the meeting for villagers to speak and so, there is no point in convening the village people’s assembly.

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3.2 Periodic Elections (1) Independent Voting In Taiwan’s system of local self-government, since the heads of local governments, representatives of public opinion at all levels, and village chiefs are directly elected by the people, with no special circumstances, independent-minded citizens typically have to wait four years before they have a chance to adjust their voting choices. A public official who has performed satisfactorily during their term of office may be re-elected while one who has performed poorly may or may not be re-elected; vote for the candidate you believe in. In 2018, nearly two-thirds of Puli’s 33 chiefs were re-elected, mostly because their pragmatic services win the trust of the people (of course, there is also the possibility of “technical operations”). Based on the curricula vitae of the 13 newly elected sheriffs (see Table 9.3), most do not have much experience in public service, and the reason for their election could be that Li Min have an attitude that is willing to “try” or “change.” This is based on the independent thinking of individual Liberians and contribute to their independent voting behavior. Tough elections7 Voters are more rational than they used to be. Although the peg-leg still exists, the effect of canvassing is not as good as before. Candidates who stand for election, generally before the general election, even before the registration of candidates, go on a door to door visit. In the one I’m in, I visit almost every house five times before the vote. If I didn’t, li people might not remember me, or he might not even know me, and he wouldn’t have picked me. At the same time, because of the five-in-one, seven-in-one or nine-in-one election, many candidates visit li people in the run-up to the election, which is quite annoying to the local people. To this end, if I feel the people of Li are shallow, I will visit again and often or send a small gift (such as masks, fans, paper and pen, etc.), send greetings, or a copy of my work over the past four years to impress them and influence their voting behavior. In fact, if you are in a place for a long time, through a simple handshake, you can probably determine whether a voter will vote for you. Although this is mainly conveyed through body language, if you pay attention you can notice the difference between supporters and opponents. Whenever the election “Street sweeping” happens and we shake hands with the people, this feeling is particularly obvious.

(2) Accept Tickets Despite the sanctity of the ballot box for voters, many have given up their independent right to vote, as it is a matter of whether the administration of future newly elected public officials will help them and offer cash as a bribe. One of the interviewees recalled, “In previous years, the night before the vote, almost every door was open, just waiting for the candidate’s foot to come home and buy a ticket,” he said, as voters at the time lived in a society of acquaintances, some of the more honest remin accept bribes from candidates, regardless of the amount, and generally vote for a particular candidate. Although bribery is becoming less visible than it was in previous years, many voters who take bribes give up their independent judgment on candidates and vote for particular candidates on the precious and sacred ballot.

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Vote slinging: Open secret8 In Puli, we have an old village head who has been in office for many years, has done little for the people, and is still elected, so everyone knows that he always buys a ticket. Like the gifts the government gives to residents, or the money given to poor families on New Year’s Day, our younger chiefs do it all themselves, and even don’t bother our neighbors head. As we take this opportunity personally to everyone to their home, people must be happy, and we are satisfied with these village heads. However, the old village head would not, and every time there are notices or gifts, he let the villagers pick up it themselves or ask the neighbors head to distribute. It is said that older adults usually deliver money from house to house three months before the vote; so if he delivers the money again, he is almost certain to be re-elected. He also made a joke when he offered bribes for the election: because two miles apart, some of the houses in the village bought the wrong ticket while he bribed the village next door considering them his own people. Faced with this situation, some wanted to compete with him. One of the good candidates, who failed in his first election, established a community development association in an attempt to preserve his strength. But several campaigns failed. This is because people are used to being “bought,” and these money habits prevent them from remembering the real value and significance of the ticket in their hands.

(3) Stump for Votes As a “political figure” active in the grassroots society, the stake foot not only has a strong influence, but also is good at grasping and utilizing human resources, which has an impact on the voting of the related people. For example, in 33 Li of Puli, all Li people basically live in a “society of acquaintances.” Many Li people are related to piles or feet, or in the same system (Agricultural Association, Fishing Association, Water Conservancy Association, etc.), or with a social organization (Lions Clubs International, Association for Community Development), or have dayto-day contact, or there is a loan relationship, a feeling of gratitude, and so on. Those who are familiar with the political tendency of the people in the same area can obtain a considerable proportion of votes by adopting the corresponding “public relations measures.” Even if the stumps differ from the political views of the voters, the stumps can change the voters’ voting behavior by scooping up and dividing the votes. “Stake out”9 A stake is when two or more candidates share one or more of the stakes. If I run for Town mayor, you run for County mayor, and he runs for County council membe. Since the three of us have a good relationship and the election is held at the same time, if the three parties reach an agreement, they can greatly expand the number and coverage of the posts of a certain candidate by piling up, and it’s gonna get more votes. The original political party organization is sounder, the political party’s influence is bigger, and several kinds of candidates piling up is common. As the bloc’s power waned, local factions began to take hold of the stakes. Some factions are based on the underworld, some are political families, and some are organized by the family power system. If candidate A has great influence in the Peasant Association, and candidate B has great influence in the Water Conservancy Association, each has its own stake. If A and B are willing to join forces, they can put up stakes and share money and resources. Compared with the effect of a single stake foot on voters’ voting, the effect of stake-building on voters’ voting is greater. As a single peg affects the voters around it, a candidate is usually strongly recommended. And there is more than one candidate to pitch to voters.

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Notes 1. https://www.ttv.com.tw/news/view/10710040028800L/572, 4 October 2018. 2. Wu Suzhen: Nantou Xinyi Township People’s time, Lin Mingzhen accepted a total of seven people’s cases, http://www.taiwanhot.net/?p=488935, 25 August 2017. 3. Puli town office tender 18 case is equal to the base price, the town on behalf of the bell prosecution, https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/realtimenews/20181008003115-260407, 8 October 2018. 4. Yang Shuhuang: People in Puli took to the streets to protect trees. They also took part in a parade with their dogs and children on skateboards, https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/newspa pers/20151018000346-260107, 18 October 2015. 5. Puli Tai Ping Peak area expansion cause regional case description advocacy group, http://210. 61.131.40/report.aspx?selectedid=256, August 2017. 6. 20180814 interview audio collation. 7. 20180730 interview audio collation. 8. 20180728 interview audio collation. 9. 20180726 interview audio collation.

Appendix

A Record of Visits and Observations in Taiwan I left Wuhan on March 1, 2018, and returned on August 27, spending 180 days and nights on the island of Taiwan. During this half year, in addition to completing the established academic tasks, I also tried to participate in various activities, such as teaching, research, and fieldwork. The following is a diary of my visit to the WYSIWYG with my school leaders, teachers, and friends.

2018-3-1, Wuhan-Taipei-Taizhong, Rain to Shine I took a nonstop evening flight and arrived at Taoyuan International Airport on time. Before coming, the Jinan University Humanities School Public Line teacher, Lin Weili, has already briefed me regarding the transfer route from the airport, the train number, and so on. I took the MRT from the airport to the high-speed railway station, successfully reached the Taizhong-Uril high-speed railway station. Arriving in Taizhong at 23:30, the public transport line to the hotel chain was a bit long, so I took a taxi instead. The taxi driver was a retired person, very enthusiastic about his compatriots on the mainland, gave me many warm reminders and life advice for living here, until arrived at the hotel.

2018-3-2 Taizhong-Puli-Jinan University This being my third time in Taiwan, it was not like the first two strange and fresh visits, but a more familiar place like an aftertaste. Without my friends, I took my luggage from the baggage carousel, carried my backpack and hurried to the MRT station to catch the high-speed train to Taizhong. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 Y. Hao, Grassroots Governance in Taiwan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9829-4

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Everything went as expected, getting on the bullet train at 10:30, arriving in Taizhong at 11:20, then safely arriving by 15-min taxi at the Entrepreneur Hotel (30% off for same-day online orders). After breakfast, I took a taxi to Jishou station and got on the bus to Puli. On the bus I met two students and followed them to transfer to the school bus. I found Lin Weili, the capable and enthusiastic female teacher in the Department of Public Administration of the College of Humanities. With her help, I quickly contacted the library, academic affairs office, teacher’s apartment, and other departments, and asked the student assistant to take me through the relevant procedures and documents, and become familiar with the line. In the library and academic affairs office process, I found that the interior design, people-to-people exchanges and procedures, all reflect the concept of people-oriented service. Many mainland universities may have copied the “hardware” here, but the “software” is nowhere near as good as here. It’s a far cry from the way we do things in our own schools. After talking with Dr. Zhang Liya and Professor Wu Qingfeng this Morning, I found that the courses they designed were relatively flexible and based entirely on their personal research interests. At Zhang’s invitation, I agreed to attend several classes (here called sharing) and faculty meetings and luncheons. This is convenient and many teachers began to communicate, opening up on their horizons. In the afternoon, Ms. Lin suggested that I take part in a field visit, investigation, and a research activity organized by the college. Each semester, they take students on a tour of government departments to learn more about how the government works. So, for me, a scholar from the mainland, I would be a rare learning opportunity. My room in the teachers’ apartment was being cleaned as my check-in time was relatively late. After Lin Weili sent me to the apartment, she guided me again, telling me how to get on the bus and how to solve problems that I may encounter daily. For two days in a row, although the public transport here is more convenient, from yesterday to now, in about 24 h, I took a taxi from home to Tianhe Airport, by plane to Taipei, by MRT to Taoyuan high-speed railway station, took the high-speed train to Taizhong, a taxi to the hotel, two more buses to Jinan University, dragged a 22-kg suitcase for a long walk across the 150-hectare campus… and finally entered the room, saw the bed, and fell on it. Originally set to rest 30 min on the alarm clock, I did not expect to sleep for more than an hour, but the alarm clock sounded in the pillow for more than 30 min before I heard it. As the school’s two 7-eleven stores are small, I had to go down the hill to the Puli family or all-union supermarket to buy stuff. On waking up, I hurried to the bus stop on the campus. Although Puli is a large country with a large population, and most of the commodities in supermarkets are household items, it is difficult to find a single person’s daily necessities. I finally found a 300 ml bottle of shampoo, and when I checked out, the cashier told me two for one… thinking it was getting late, I had dinner at a noodle shop next to the supermarket. A basket of dumplings plus a bowl of noodles is NT $160. On the way back, I bought 200 Taiwan dollar worth of oranges. After coming back to pack things, wash clothes, I had to deal with the Provincial Political Institute for the transfer of affairs.

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2018-3-8 Chinese New Year Today, on the recommendation of Professor Liya, I attended the New Year’s Communist Party Conference hosted by Professor Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, the principal of the school. This session is part of USR’s new semester program. In addition to the Jinan University research team, there are local associations, businesses, and so on. I shared the work in progress, the plans to be made. Through this audit, I began to gain access to USR, trying to slowly understand the purpose, mechanics, and form of the program. Most importantly, I met the respected teacher Jiang dashu, the vice-president, who was also a professor in the Department of Public Administration of the College of Humanities, realized I was a stranger and guessed that I was a visiting scholar from the Competent executive authorities China Normal University.

P.S: Access to public resources has enabled universities to pool the best of their professions, but in recent years there has been a growing demand for social accountability, considering that in addition to continuing research and innovation in their fields of expertise, it is also important to take the initiative to integrate social, economic, and industrial development to bring knowledge to the community and to promote prosperity and development of the region, in line with the University Social Responsibility (USR). Therefore, it is a global trend for universities to list social responsibility as an important item in the development of university affairs, and the European Union has also proposed a “reference framework for university social responsibility.” To strengthen the links and cooperation between colleges and universities and regions, to practice social responsibility, and to cultivate college students who can create value for local development, “University Social Responsibility Practice Program” (USR program) was launched in 106, and linked to the “Advanced education program” in 107 to guide faculty and students to form cross-disciplinary teams, to play the role of the local core think tank in regional development, actively explore local needs, and solve problems through the division of work and cooperation of local advantages, so as to promote the innovative development of local enterprise and community culture. Further, this allows the university student to feel he “is needed by the community,” and he works to gain community approval. Through the promotion of the Competent education authorities, 116 universities and 220 projects have been attracted to the practice of university social responsibility in 2018. The Competent education authorities has also commissioned a professional team to establish a “University social responsibility promotion center” to accompany and assist universities in implementing the objectives and achievements of the USR program. The core value of the USR program is to make the university an active participant and contributor to the sustainable development of the place, that is, to make the university a place of hope. Therefore, its key elements include “talent cultivation, regional links and social innovation,” which will enable universities to cultivate talents and local governments to retain talents, so that all sectors can see hope together

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and seek ways to realize it together, enhancing opportunities for sustainable local social development. In line with the 17 sustainable development targets set by the United Nations, the USR program’s main thrust covers areas such as “local care,” “industrial upgrading,” “environmental sustainability,” and “health promotion.” It is hoped that the following objectives will be achieved: 1. Strengthening regional production-learning links to assist in the development and upgrading of the real estate industry: to promote the innovative development and technological upgrading of the real estate industry, schools will conduct an inventory of local development and industrial demand issues through regional consensus-building to develop practical and feasible plans with a view to making substantial contributions to regional development and enhancing local value. 2. Integration of regional school resources to assist urban and rural development: schools actively link regional schools to help narrow the gap between urban and rural areas and to drive regional prosperity and development. At the same time, through universities’ in-depth guidance and assistance in conducting teaching reversals in local primary and secondary schools, students’ problem-solving skills in “Learning by doing” will be developed, and through the experience of interaction between schools and industries, they will be closer to the needs of the industries to develop students’ practical abilities. 3. Cluster ministries and local government resources are focused on local development: a university-level operating mechanism is organized, and the competent executive authorities ministries and local governments are engaged on a long-term basis to jointly plan the long-term local development vision. Through concerted efforts to secure resources, the university and various sectors will form an active local innovation ecosystem, encouraging university teachers and students to participate in social innovation practices, and enable students to explore and solve local issues through teachers, then improve the local residents and the university through mutual recognition and affirmation, and create value together. 4. To implement the social responsibility of universities and promote the social innovation of teachers and students: universities should establish a bridging mechanism between the demand for regional development and the supply and demand of talents and cultivate practical talents for industrial and social development through on-the-spot exploration and cultivation by teachers and students; the aim is to bring into play the benefits of promoting students’ employment or business start-up in the locality. The USR program overall is one of educational innovation and social practice to improve the learning gap. It is also a university helping to solve Taiwan’s social and economic development problems, a project to contribute to global sustainable development by connecting the local to the future and also to the international community. The center for the promotion of university social responsibility of the Competent education authorities will focus on consultation and collaboration, training and exchange, achievement evaluation, model diffusion, resource pooling, international

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exchange, information sharing, etc., to work with university and USR program implementation teams to achieve USR’s goals and objectives.

2018-3-14, Spring Hike This is the first time I participates in public activities, or in a school-wide large-scale activity. It’s called People Mountain People Sea, and it’s probably the most students and teachers I’ve seen in six months. For two hours, Zhu Jingyun, Li Xuanying, and I walked along the established path with the crowd hiking eight kilometers! From the “highest point” of the university, the campus looked so large, and so beautiful! As a treat, on the recommendation of a friend, I went down to look for a Chongqing beef noodle restaurant. The Boss is spouse from Chinese Mainland; although the taste has been localized, and it is not the kind of spicy Chongqing, but compared to the taste of local food, I would like to accept the improved taste of Chongqing.

2018-3-15 Today I have the honor to attend the “Earth Project,” a small seminar hosted by vice-president Professor Tong Wen. The theme of the meeting was the sharing of local government cultural policies by the Under Secretary for Administration, CtownshipYee-fun, Nantou County. In just 150 min, not only did deputy director Zhang share his experience in politics, but also responded to the sharp views put forward by the deputy principal and teachers, as well as the wonderful host, the Deputy Principal, and, of course, director Chang. And finally, some good food!

2018-3-17 Puli-zhushan With the help of Professor Liao and Ms Lin, I was able to get in touch with brother Cai junshuo, a master’s degree holder in public administration, who works and lives in Zhushan. He is not only familiar with the work of the Farmland Water Conservancy Association, but also his master’s degree thesis is related to community governance and interaction. Thus, apart from a relatively rich practical experience, a more systematic theoretical basis was also his expertise. In the morning, I took the passenger train first to Taizhong, then to Zhushan. There was no direct bus line, so the transfer was delayed, and by the time I got to the Zhushan terminal, he was already there. Since I did not know much about the farmland water conservancy association in Taiwan, he not only gave me a comprehensive and detailed introduction to the grassroots Water Conservancy management system, but also took me to the field to see the river dams, canals, and branch canals, and gave me a lot of advice on my research. It was nearly noon; brother Cai and his wife invited

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me to taste the most famous local cuisine, and during dinner, he and I shared our insights on life. Finally, since it was already late, I had to say goodbye to them and rush back to Puli. As soon as I got to Puli, he called to say hello. I feel so lucky to meet so many good people! Bless them!

2018-4-23 Puli-Tainan Wushantou Dam Since my first day at the beautiful Jida University, I have had the good fortune to meet enthusiastic teachers from the Department of Public Administration, and under the care of Professor Liao, Professor Wu, and director Li, and the assistance of Professor Zhao, his husband, and Professor Luo, I took advantage of the weekend break in two months and visited Zhuoshui River, Babaozhen, and Wushantou Dam. Cai Junshuo personally took me to explore the water system of the turbid stream and its canals. Liu, the document historian of the National History Museum, devoted his weekend break to showing me the hydraulic engineering devices. Professor Luo arranged for me to visit the director of the Wushantou Dam. Three short visits, though limited in time, gave me considerable information. So, I now not only have a more intuitive understanding of the Farmland Water Conservancy and the public corporation but also a more comprehensive understanding of its endogenesis and its operating mechanism based on new thinking! With your support, I am fully confident about my future research! Thank you for having me!

2018-4-27 Puli-Hualian From Puli, we drove all the way down to Kenting, then to Taidong, then to the Green Island. After four days, we finally reached the Hualian Irrigation Association. I was impressed by the beautiful scenery, the rugged roads, the careful organization of the Hualian Farmland Water Conservancy Association and the high sense of responsibility of director Zhang Dengping! This activity involved more than 400 people, but it was organized in systematic way! It was a great honor to meet director Zhang Dengping, the leader of our No. 8 vehicle. As a senior “Water Ghost” (the local people who are engaged in water conservancy are called so), he volunteered from an early age to join the Farmland Water Conservancy Association, showed interest in making it his career, and held the job for 37 years! All 37 members come from different places and industries. Director Zhang takes good care of each member like a parent. Not only did he give us a comprehensive introduction to the work, organizational structure, and Irrigation System of the Water Conservancy Association, but also shared his personal life experiences, also invited the whole car to the sugar factory to eat ice! I was more fortunate to be invited by director Zhang in the evening, and Mr. Blue, Mr. Zhou, and I spent a nice evening happily chatting late into the night!

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This led to a sense of friendship with director Zhang. After learning that I was crossing the highway from Hualian on Friday, Zhang reminded me the next day to not only enjoy the beautiful scenery, but also pay attention to the afternoon fog, especially when going downhill with gears down and follow his car in the fog. It was under his guidance that I felt at ease on unfamiliar, rough, and even dangerous roads. Owing to road maintenance restrictions, it took more than four hours to return to the university. I also climbed from sea level to 3,156 m in one day, which is four seasons in one day. Look forward to seeing you again!

2018-4-28 Project Earth, Take Root! After an intense day of sitting in on the conference, I not only had a panoramic view of the earth plan, but also saw the unremitting efforts of the schools themselves! Whether it became successful or not, it shows not only the efforts to cultivate such a plan, but also the attention of school leaders, who need to grasp the policy message accurately and in a timely manner. That’s why Jinan University is doing so well. Hope to go further and further, sustainable development!

2018-5-5 Sun Moon Lake Ching With the assistance of Sister Lin weili, I was honored to participate in the school’s annual Sun Moon Lake Boating experience today. For me, who can’t row, can’t swim, it was a challenge! Fortunately, not only did I meet a very tacit team-mate Su-yu, my smooth return was entirely due to her constant encouragement and control of direction. I met the excellent coach Dr. Lin Zhanwei. He not only has a strong physique, which any human would envy, but also has a doctoral degree in the domain of ecological water environment; besides, he is also guiding the national team to prepare for the Asian Games!

2018-5-7 Puli-Jiayi-puli Today, I was honored to join Professor Liao junsong, Dr Wang qingfeng, and the students in visiting the Jiayi District Office of the ombudsman, the Jiayi City Government and the city council. They are deeply aware of the significance of an independent judiciary, the service of the executive, and the administration of the people, each of which has its own role to play, with the ultimate goal of serving the people. Their functions range from providing the direction of action of the city government, to the timely supervision of the city council, to the rectification of the Procuratorate, and ultimately to protect the common interests of the people.

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But why is democracy, if so well designed, so controversial? Some say democracy is a quarrel. But if you do not limit the quarrel, endless quarrel may lead to missing many opportunities for development. What kind of system design is the best? For now, at least, there is probably no consensus. Perhaps the history of each country and region is an important factor that cannot be ignored. I look forward to watching the inquest next week.

2018-5-11 Tunghai University Today, I attended the 4th Academic Symposium on Governance and Development and joint administration of seven universities with Professor Li yujun at Tunghai University. The day’s agenda is full of achievements. Due to the depth of the morning exchange and discussion, lunch time was delayed. As soon as the lunch was done, the afternoon agenda began. Today, I heard a total of ten speakers, including government officials, in-service doctoral students, as well as general doctoral students and graduate students. Although each person’s academic background is different, since they receive systematic academic training together, they have the biggest common ground-the academic norm. It is a pity that many speakers did not come up with a conceptual conclusion, even though they did systematic and in-depth field investigation and in-depth interviews, due to the lack of a high degree of generalization of the literature. All reviewers have one thing in common: they are conscientious! Not only is there a high-altitude correction, but also they are meticulous about the title, format, and other details. In particular, Jiangdashu professor, vice-president, as the host of the second section, provided several insights and addressed the problems of the paper publishers. It was certainly worth the trip! During the tea break, talking to two Ph.D. students (one working and one fulltime), I had a lot of feelings: 1. Never too old to learn. In the space of two months, I have met several working degree holders. Most of them are close to retiring or already retired persons. Perhaps the concept of learning from the old to the old and economic development has a close relationship, only till a certain stage of social development. Chinese mainland, on the other hand, may still have a long way to go before it reaches this stage of learning. 2. Iron needs to be hard. It has always considered it difficult and tiring to study for a doctorate degree on the mainland. Now, I find that it takes 6 years on average to study for a doctorate degree here. The whole process is a series of hurdles: entrance exams, qualifying exams (two no’s, disqualification), and the publication of two academic papers at SSCI to qualify for doctoral thesis preparation. It’s not done until you’ve completed your defense. Every doctor I talk to laments the inappropriateness of doing a Ph.D., but is proud of the experience. I believe that

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through this process of tempering, one can be competent for future research and teaching jobs. 3. The sky is the limit. As Taiwan’s birthrate shows a sharp decline (more than 500 students at Yunlin County Er lun Town Xuguang Primary School two decades ago, but only 80 or so today), recruitment has become increasingly difficult, and full-time teaching positions are being filled. This is true of elementary schools, middle schools, and more than 150 colleges and universities. Due to the limited posts of full-time teachers in colleges and universities, there are about 60,000 people who have teachers’ certificates but no teaching posts, which are called “wandering teachers” in Taiwan. Therefore, an increasing number of Ph.D.s are willing to apply for jobs in mainland universities. Although the education system of the two sides is different, I believe that through systematic training in their research process, they can quickly adapt to another system and gain happiness in their future! 2018-5-12 Puli-wan lam-Puli Ching Disaster Area Today, I had the honor of following Professor Chen Jieru, Assistant Professor Zhang Liya, and students to visit the Mount Hua and Xizhen communities in Yunlin County. The two communities have distinctive features, one is a mountainous area filled with debris of the disaster, and the other is a plain flooded area; one periodically encounters a major disaster and the other is flooded every year. Although in the disaster area, people independently make concerted efforts to face the disaster, they turn the disaster area into a scenic spot, and jointly build their own happy homes. I was impressed: 1. Self-help is the best help In each kind of disaster, rescue is best done during “the golden hour,” which is limited. Wait for an external rescue or to self-rescue, in a sense, becomes a matter of life and death. When the government service cannot respond rapidly, or road disruption seriously restricts the speed of government response, self-help becomes the best choice. Yunlin County, Mount Hua, and Westtown are examples of such choices. Under the guidance of a professional team, they established effective organizational structures such as a patrol team, evacuation team, medical team, life-saving team, and command center, to minimize the damage in the event of a major disaster. Professor Jinan University’s team has long been dedicated to disaster prevention research and social collaboration. Not only is disaster prevention knowledge taught in classrooms, but it is also integrated into the lives of the people in the disaster area. Taiwan can be said to be the forerunner in disaster prevention experience! 2. The whole is greater than the individual On the day of investigation and interviews, we found that the key to the disaster prevention work in the two communities is the idea that “the overall interest is higher

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than the individual interest.” For example, the Mount Hua community through the a villagers mutual assistance group (of five persons), on receiving the notice from the village head, will transfer all to a safe place within 10 min. The residents of the West Town community voluntarily use private land for public use (such as building street corner gardens, loading telephone poles in private homesteads, etc.). In the latter case, how can public goods “encroach” on private lands? The root is the micromechanism inside the acquaintance society. If individuals do not agree to contribute abandoned wasteland (courtyard) and to plant poles on private homesteads, it will affect the common interests of the entire community. Of course, in a society where land is privately owned, the resident can simply focus on their own interests at the expense of others. Like the private ownership of land in Europe, “The wind can enter, the rain can enter, but the king cannot enter.” However, in Chinese society, which is an “acquaintance society” of community, the face(reputation) is the core factor. If face does not work, there is pressure from the public opinion. No matter what the institution, the traditional Chinese “collective concept” is always strong and plays a role that cannot be underestimated. 3. The training ground for democracy Especially in the small area of Xizhen, they could effectively solve the dilemma of flooding in a short period of ten years because they listened to the wise words of the older adults in the area (the problem of fewer children and aging), built their own beautiful homes and became the province’s 22 counties benchmark. Why are the residents of the West Town community able to unite and stand on their own feet under difficult conditions? The reason is that the neighborhood has a democratic tradition. In the 1960s, when direct consumption of stream water caused widespread disease, the community’s “chiefs” (rich and powerful people, not village chiefs) took the lead in building water towers. According to the specific needs of the establishment of the Water Council, some were responsible for collection (the main contribution, supplemented by collection), some for construction, some for the management and operation, and some for the financial matters. The financial affairs are publicized regularly and are subject to the joint supervision of villagers. From the water tower operation to the abandonment, there has not been a single case of corruption for decades. The abandoned water tower, now a landmark building in the community, has been quietly standing, witnessing the historical changes of the West Town Community! At present, the construction of villages, large and small scenic spots, are all through the form of joint discussion to determine the construction program for joint implementation. Therefore, it is not difficult to see that the training of democracy in the early stage not only shaped the residents’ democratic concept, but also standardized their behavior, providing the most powerful and effective way for the construction of a beautiful residential area!

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2018-5-17 Puli-Taizhong-puli Ching Today, I had the honor of joining Professor Zhao Dayu and his fellow students in visiting the High Administrative Court of Taizhong and the Competent executive authorities Joint Service Centre of the Competent executive authorities. In just one day, we visited five departments. This is the second time I participated in the project activity of “Take-off plan.” In the course of the visit, I came to realize that overseas Chinese students from Hong Kong and Taiwan students who love to think and discuss with me from the mainland formed a common observation and dialogue about the three places on both sides of the strait. There is no denying that the internationalization of Hong Kong, the rapidity of the mainland, and the maturity of Taiwan all are unique characteristics of these respective places. Due to different systems, the cultural background of the three places is quite different. In a sense, the mainland and Taiwan share a common history and culture, but after Taiwan’s economic boom in the Four Asian Tigers and its training in electoral democracy after the lifting of martial law, or after it entered the “Middle Income Trap” stage, its economic development relative to the other two slowed down, but the people enjoy the most comprehensive administrative services. On today’s visit, the main person in charge of the reception or even as tour guide was a student. On the one hand, they hope to pass on the service idea of the administration to everyone, and on the other, they hope to provide our students with targeted practical teaching from a professional point of view. At the same time, it can be seen that cases of “People suing officials” or “Officials suing people” are decided by the administrative court to ensure that the rights of all taxpayers are not violated and to realize the benign interaction between officials and people. In the Joint Service Center of the Competent executive authorities of the Competent executive authorities, we not only see that regional governance builds a bridge between the local (grassroots) and Taipei, but also see the spirit of governance that “cuts across counties, cities, issues, and parties.” This spirit may be a good way to move beyond localism and partisanship. If we see a social governance gear shift upgrade, we on the “Middle Income Trap” can achieve a breakthrough, and perhaps become more confident. However, our students, whether native-born Taiwanese students, overseas Chinese students from Hong Kong, or exchange students from the mainland, all of them enhanced their knowledge of system theory taught by Professor Zhao Dayu in class. Moreover, I realized the operating procedure and mechanism of the public department closely related to my own life also provided an accurate reference for the life career design of individual students. When I asked some students at random what they wanted to do after college, “I want to stay and work in Taiwan,” replied an overseas student from Hong Kong, without hesitation. “I want to work in the judicial system, so I can start early.” As the saying goes, “No practice, no gain in one’s wit.” Only by going into the environment, feeling the atmosphere, observing and listening to their experience and sharing can we really “touch” the logic of these systems, norms, and mechanisms. In between visits, Professor Zhao took me to meet the secretary of the director of the Water Resources Agency. Although time was limited, the secretary, Huang,

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gave a systematic explanation on issues related to the Farmland Water Conservancy Association and constructive suggestions for my next field investigation and oral interview. When he learned of my personal research project, he did not hesitate to send me a set of latest publications from the water resources department. I think the common dream not only points the way for us to take off, whether it is me or my classmates who are going out of the campus, or the administrative officers and affairs officers who are working hard in the public sector, it gives us the power to take off quickly.

2018-6-6 Thank You for Having Me! The first time I participated in archery activities, I actually hit a ten Ling. Wow!

2018-6-9 Narration and Continuation I had the honor to attend the school graduation ceremony, very novel and exciting! All good things must come to an end. Before you know it, you may have passed three, four, six, or more years in Chi Nan University. But the memory of entering school seems to be just of yesterday. Today, under the auspices of your parents, with the entrustment of outstanding alumni and the recommendation of the Dean’s degree nomination, more than 1,000 graduates have obtained bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degrees, for their wonderful life on the bright coordinates. Just like the theme of today’s graduation, “Narration and continuation,” the graduate’s life in the university will always “continue” as the life of the alumni. I believe that you will be like those outstanding alumni, exceling in all walks of life to achieve more exciting results and displaying great spirit and glory. Bless you all!

2018-6-12 Today, I was honored to join professor Jiang dashu and his classmates in visiting the Taiwan Historica and Civil Service Development Institute. The two organizations are both public affairs organs. From the work content, it can be said that they are both static and dynamic. The main task of the library is to collect, collate, and edit documents, but now it is faced with the problem of budget cuts every year, and less air conditioning to cut electricity bills. I had to write my book sweating! As the only training institution for civil servants, HDI has a limited budget (even beyond its income), but the annual training of nearly 70,000 people has brought it a relatively good income.

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In the administration, we need to classify the management and the budget, use appropriate incentives, make use of their respective expertise and advantages, and create results more suitable to the needs of the society and the people.

2018-7-18 Depth Determines Height Farm Irrigation Association Today, I finally came to Nantou Farm Irrigation Association to visit brother Wu, who had already made an appointment. Although we met for the first time, because Chi Nan University let us with nothing unfamiliar. In a five-hour interview, he recounted the historical context of the Farmland Water Conservancy Association and explained the relationship and internal logic between water use and water management at the grassroots level in simple terms. He also became an on-the-spot guide of Longquan zhen’s historical origin and its spatial structure, which showed me how rich social governance networks rapidly! Wu’s many years of work experience and in-depth thinking helped him develop a high degree of generalization and unique insights! Thank you! I want to be able to follow the idea of your dissertation years ago; the social governance of the Farmland Water Conservancy will be the objective and comprehensive show out!

2018-7-24 Community: Symbiosis, Common Good, Sharing Two days in a row I participated in a five-schools joint “Local and university neolution” conference. I had believed that local neolution is limited to the humanities and social sciences. In the case of university and local neolution presented at the conference, there was involvement of not only medical, but also information, design and other disciplines. Especially today when I visited Zhongxing New Village, I was deeply touched by the experience shared by the team of Professor Dai Rongbin! In a few short years, they not only developed and established the PM2.5 collection system in three counties, but also built the air quality database, through “visible” science and technology to guide religious people toward environmental awareness and construct people’s “basic citizenship behavior.” Science and technology can guide people to volunteer for the “common good of the community.” There may be many models for successful community governance, but the factors that influence it may be similar. Whether it is acquaintance community, unfamiliar community, or mixed-type community, there are two kinds of factors to stimulate the community construction: “Endogenous demand” and “External traction.” The successful case of Professor Dai’s team using technology to leverage community construction is a typical example of university and local innovation. How to give full play to the social responsibility of local universities and how to use their own

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advantages to leverage local social development has been the key to the project of the Ministry of Science and Technology. It is not difficult to see from the efforts of Neolution team that, as long as they pay with their heart, even if they use “control technology,” they can solve the “tragedy of the commons” and realize the “common good of the community.”

2018-7-26 Industry Creates Happiness This evening, I successfully completed two interviews on my way to the third market to buy vegetables. My speech, with its mainland flavors of Mandarin, will reveal my identity. Hearing the accent of their hometown, the two greengrocers were especially enthusiastic. I bought 50 yuan worth of ginger, but they also sent me hundreds of yuan worth of cauliflower… after a brief chat, I learned that the two hostesses are respectively from Zhejiang and Chongqing, “spouse from Mainland.” They have been in Taiwan for more than 20 years. They are married, have children, and support older adults. Although they work hard and take care of their families, bring up their children, and support older adults, they also provide people with fresh vegetables every day, almost year-round! The sight of their happy lives reminded me of the Chinese I met in Russia, Greece, Hawaii, and Dubai who had left their homes for their dreams. Although in the process of hard work, but there are tears and laughter, there is happiness! It is not difficult to find the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, there is no time and space restrictions as long as there are dreams, and the sweat of hard work will water plants into towering trees!

2018-8-2 Puli-mei Indigenous Tribe The village needs them. The phenomenon of aging and fewer children has long been known and accepted here. In particular, among the more remote rural Aborigines, with the migration of young and middle-aged people to the metropolis, there has been a rapid decline in the number of village residents; the original vitality of the village is seen no longer, but who will remain for the older adults left behind? What about the economic development of the tribe? How will the vitality and happiness of the tribe be restored? These questions have been on the minds of all villagers. Today, I had the honor of following President Xie Song in observing the Meiyuan aboriginal tribe’s “Father’s Day activity” and gain a new understanding of the role and significance of the Community Development Association! For home, for the whole family. After his retirement from the KMT headquarters in Yuchi Township, Nantou County, Mr. Xie has devoted himself to the development of his hometown. To promote the economic development of his hometown, he led the formation of the “Meiyuan tribal tourism industry cultural association.” As Father’s

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Day approached, he led the council in actively planning the event, agreeing on an agenda and program of activities while using his personal resources to secure considerable sponsorship. Through competitions, dancing, drawing, and other contests, the people in the village were issued wave after wave of gifts. His wife, Miss Wu, is a popular singing teacher on the island. To support the development of their home, at the expense of their own time, they also invited several performing groups to perform in the village to provide a visual feast for the people of the village! Happiness is co-creation. Due to the limited public space of the remote Meiyuan tribe, the church of this village not only provides the venue, audio equipment, and kitchen, but also plays an active role in organizing the activities. The middle-aged women left behind by the tribe also showed no sign of weakness and took the initiative to take up the cooking work and provide a sumptuous lunch for the whole village! To have fun, share! It is understood that there are four hundred people in the village, but only a few hundred are at home. The success of today’s event saw hundreds of people on the streets. The space in front of the church was too small to fit them all; the space in front of the neighbor’s house became an extension of the activity area. Whether it is the wrist strength competition or the song and dance performance of the three old groups, or the multi-round drawing awards and karaoke, or lunch together, the happy laughter never stopped! Everyone’s face was lit by a happy smile! Finally, we put a hundred pounds of roast pig to feed them all. As a community in which the villagers live, especially the Aborigines, the village has a common language, a common history, a common culture, and a common demand: the village is prominent. The reason today’s event was so successful is not only because of the concerted efforts of the president and his association, but also because the theme of the event is close to people’s lives; they are willing to participate, interact, and join in the celebration. Of course, there is also a key factor, which has always been the relationship between the village chief and the president of the association for the development of small districts in other villages, but in the Meiyuan tribe, the two complement and support each other, working together for a common purpose. This is why today’s activity scene, not only saw the village chief, but also the village chief and Ma Wenjun’s service team participate. Whether they are local representatives of public opinion or local public officials, the only mission of being elected by the people is to serve the people. If everyone lives up to his mission, I believe Taiwan will create the next “Four Asian Tigers” miracle!

2018-8-9 sunny Toward a new happiness. Today I had the honor of observing the “Gold excellence community selection on the spot” activities, grand ceremony, colorful content, and lively scenes, which left me really surprised. I had no idea there were so many Li people and so many activities in this relatively rural community in Puli. A few days ago, the governor and the president of the Community Development Association had recommended me to see the Pearl Hill community. It is really worthy of the name!

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Dreams are power. Although Zhugeli and Xi’nanli are two different Li units, they are closely related in region, culture, and interests, and have been a relatively close community for a long time. Residents of two communities have a common understanding, and all participants work toward “improving and enhancing the quality of life of community residents.” The Dream of Progress! Leadership is the soul. A common dream, a goal, a blueprint, a vision. How to turn the blueprint and vision into reality is the obstacle in front of all CDA members. Thanks to the Community Development Association, Dr. Huang Qirui has become the soul of community development. It is often said that “university professors may not be very down-to-earth,” but Professor Huang of Nankai University, as the owner of Zhugri, has taken the time to devote himself to the development of a busy community. Perhaps it is because of his enthusiasm, love, profession, and vision for the future that the community has a more accurate positioning and implementation of the steps, bringing more people to participate in its growth. Participation is key. As the saying goes, “It takes two to tango.” Again, with the ability of people, a force, bring more people and soon you will realize that “People pick up firewood and fire high” vision. It is not difficult to see the diversity of the participants in the Zhuzishan community from the members of the Association who participated in the activities today. On the grounds of the Xuanping Palace Awakening Hall, which belongs to a member of the group (as there is no playground of its own in the Zhuzishan community), there are not only the “Wo Tai drum” performances by small children from the south of the river, but also stage performances. A unique welcome ceremony not only let the guests have a grand sense of ceremony, but also allowed them to feel the enthusiasm and happiness of members. This should be the core and key to community development. Only when more people participate in it, can we realize the true meaning of “All for one and all for one” and envisage a bright future for the community. The system is the guarantee. Today, some members of the jury also said that we can see the passion and happiness of Zhuzishan community, but how can we realize cultural sustainability, landscape sustainability, industry sustainability, and happiness sustainability? In fact, Dr. Wong Kai-rui led the community leadership team has known the secret to sustainability of the system. Whether it is the organizational structure of the Zhuzishan community or the various rules and regulations governing the operation of the community, it can ensure that competent and suitable people in the right position can move this community forward. Example is inspiration. At today’s judging activity, I also met the directors and members of the 50 Jia, Wugong Li, Cien and other communities. Through my chats with them, I learned that they are part of the Pearl Hill community (flagship) to incubate and drive the “small flagship.” As the saying goes, “people are the mirror, showing clear gain and loss.” Through on-the-spot observation, participation, and exchange, we can find the gap and discover the secret of success of “big flagship.” When I asked several other community representatives how they felt about today’s event, the common response was, “We also want to make our community better!” And that’s exactly what happened with the flagship community; they become a role

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model and benchmark for other communities. Role models are not only the direction of other communities’ efforts, but also the driving force for others to move forward. It is hoped that through such an effective community development program, more places, like the Pearl Hill community, will share the same development goals as the governor and the governor and work together for the well-being of the people, hand in hand toward a new happiness.

2018-8-17 Fair-Afternoon Thunderstorm Today, I came to the 50 Jia community again to gain some understanding of Wang Yaozong’s autobiography. The transmission of love. Some thoughts on reading the autobiography of Mr. Wang Yaozong. It was a very fortuitous opportunity to meet Mr. Wang Yaozong. As I discovered on Facebook in 50 neighborhoods, environmental volunteers clean up the neighborhood on the first Saturday of every month. July 7 at about 8:00 a.m., I rode a motorcycle down the hill, along the navigation, and arrived at the men of 50 A community to see what was going on. By the time I arrived, the cleanup was nearly complete, and though each volunteer’s shirt was soaked through, his sweaty face was beaming with joy. As I stopped outside the Tai’an assembly hall and looked around, unable to find anyone to talk to, Mr. Wang, who had finished his work, greeted me and invites me to sit in the hall. He introduce me to the basics of the 50 Jia community. Just when I wanted to ask him for further details, Song Zixian long came with soy milk, rice, steamed stuffed bun, and other items for breakfast. Only later did I know that the cost of buying breakfast was paid for by Song Li-chang himself. This inspired me more about the 50 A community. I wanted to interview them, but in the morning they were going to Nantou County to take part in two competitions on behalf of the community. The warm-hearted Mr. Wang and made an appointment with me to meet here at six o’clock in the evening. In the afternoon, there were thundershowers, and to avoid being late, I went to the gazebo in front of the meeting-house and waited. At six o’clock, Mr. Wang came on his bicycle. He took me back to his house and began a two-hour interview. During the interview, I not only learned about his work as a community environmental volunteer, but also learnt about his spiritual journey in the Christian faith. He made relevant recommendations for my research work and mentioned his eager expectations. After a long talk, Mr. Wang gave me a copy of his autobiography. I was flattered and asked him to sign it. I’ve been doing fieldwork in Puli for over a month, and this is the first autobiography I’ve seen. Although Mr. Wang is not a high-ranking figure, his diary bit by bit to record and witness the “Great History” of change. This autobiography appealed to me so much that I cannot wait to read it all at once. In particular, Mr. Wang’s writing is like flowing water. I wish to understand the different stages of his life and feelings. When I finished reading the last two poems, I had a strong feeling in my heart and wanted to show my appreciation to Mr. Wang.

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Misery, wealth. Born in 1943, Taiwan has not recovered. In that historical environment, not only was there economic and living hardship, but also spiritual shackles; one even had to take the name of Japan. After the recovery, Facing numerous tasks to be completed, the 228 incident occurred. As the White Terror spread, so did the family fortunes. Most unfortunately, Mr. Wang lost his mother while he was in primary school. To support his family, he had to work as an apprentice in a shoe factory after primary school. Two years after the division, north to Taipei since the shoe shop was not satisfactory, he began to work in a paper shop as a clerk. Being thin and small-made, he was unable to cope with the physical overload of labor, and he was dismissed by the boss. From then on, Mr. Wang began a work-study life. This period of hard learning not only established his determination to learn, but also get to know the confidant of life; He even taste the sweet and astringent nature of love. The difficult experience at the beginning of his life shaped Mr. Wang’s character of being hard-working and provided him with great support in his future work and retirement. A beacon of faith. In the service, although tired, but under the guidance of Han tutorship, Mr. Wang realized Christianity. As he himself confessed, “From ignorance, unbelief, discussion, argument, comparison and re-analysis, I have finally come to the conclusion that the Christian theory of creation is not groundless, but based on evidence.” Thus, Mr. Wang started to firmly believe in Christianity. His whole family too was devoted to the Lord. Since 1971, Mr. Wang has been teaching Sunday school in the Puli Church. In particular, after joining the “Chinese Christian Relief Association” as a social worker, Mr. Wang established the concept of “helping people ss the foundation of happiness” and is actively engaged in teaching visits. He also participated in the reconstruction of the church, went overseas to spread the gospel, and opened new doors for others. Fortune rewards those who seek it. As the saying goes, “Heaven rewards diligence.” After a long period of effort, Mr. Wang reached new heights from “Part-time work-study” to “Advanced work-supplement school” to “Special teacher for one year” to “Special teacher for north teachers” and “Special teacher for Pu.” If Mr. Wang’s career is like “sesame flowers, steadily high,” his family life was a “life winner.” Not only did he take a wife and have children in his 30s (he has two daughters and a son), he also bought his own land and built his own house in his 40s. From then on farewell to the “shell-less snail life.” All these achievements prove once again the old adage of “Heaven rewards diligence, learning from the Tao rewards bitterness, learning from the Tao rewards excellence, and humanity rewards sincerity.” We’re all in this together. In 1949 (eighty-eight), 51 days after Mr. Wang retired, the “9/21” earthquake that shook Taiwan caused heavy casualties in Puli. Guided by the call of God, Mr. Wang, who was determined to be a volunteer when he retired, went to work helping others at dawn on September 21. Whether for “Camp assistants” or “Association Volunteers,” 50 Jia District Development Association was elected for the formation of environmental volunteers, and he put all his heart to help others. The work ranged from regular visits to the Lord’s Mercy Children’s Center to rescue lost souls with the gospel, to a monthly cleaning of the neighborhood for the people to face a “clean,” “fresh,” and “bright” tomorrow. Though he sacrificed the “Ego,”

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he realized the “Big Ego.” It is the “Greater self” that he has been practicing to bring more people around him into the common “Datong.” In the end, I have to admire his habit of keeping a diary for decades. It is this seemingly simple but difficult to adhere to habit that let us pass through a paragraph of beautiful words, and together with him again appreciate life as a spray of grace, and read the philosophy underlying “Mortal, all things, all language” carefully.

2018-8-18 From last night to today, 16 h, a total of 7 earthquakes, Is this is the legendary “Earthquake swarm”? Average 4 above, the highest 5, the whole Puli in non-stop shaking. I remember being rocked to sleep by an earthquake in Jinan University in March, just as I was settling in. Then, I got used to waking up in the morning. Today, I went to the town library to interview the president of the Nantou County Life Aesthetics Association, whom I met yesterday. I had a more comprehensive and profound understanding of the organization and operation mechanism of the association. When I asked about the two days of earthquake, she said with a faint smile, “It’s OK. Although I went through the 921 earthquake in 1999 and we all have painful memories of that time, we all have houses with a high earthquake resistance rating. It’s usually a seven or higher. In our building code, there are also clear rules about the magnitude of an earthquake. So, for such a small and mediumsized earthquake, nothing to fear.”

2018-8-20 Puli-ki Lung Ching “Learning” of learning-type city. I got up at 5:30 in the morning to take part in the “North Taiwan cross-learning journey,” which is co-sponsored by the Nantou County Government and the Research Center for Humanistic Innovation and Social Practice. It takes more than four hours by bus to reach Geelong, a learning city. Under the arrangement of the National Taiwan Ocean University, we visited the three fishing zones-the international Blue Economy Demonstration Zone, the Gubadou Association, and the Smiling Bay Ecology. In these cases, there is a common feature that continues to strike me. That is, the learning and industrial application of literary creation not only successfully solved the problem of the decline of the traditional three fishing, but also cultivated the consciousness and behavior of blue sustainable development. In fact, whether it is a maritime city like Geelong or an inland city like Nantou, the core problem is the same despite all kinds of development puzzles and problems. That is, how to realize the successful transformation of traditional industry and the sustainable development of industry. It is not hard to see from the experience of Geelong’s learning cities that success depends on three factors:

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One is based on demand. Countless residential development and local industrial transformation have long reminded us: only based on the real needs of the people, the formulation of the program and planning will have vitality. Otherwise, the program will only be a program, put on the shelf, which is its final home. Second, focus on transformation. When the needs of the people are determined, there is another obstacle to development: limited knowledge accumulation of the people, lack of professionalism; it is difficult to find an effective way to break the transition. In Geelong, a learning city, through the intervention of government, NGOs, and local universities, we can make use of our own professional advantages to help them realize industrial development and transformation. It would be appropriate to make it on the track of rapid development. The third is to activate participation. How to achieve sustainable development when the road to development is laid? Where’s the core power? Another problem for the local people. It is easy to see from Geelong’s many success stories that popular participation has provided a constant impetus for the exploration and sustainable development of its model of success. Therefore, it is not difficult to judge, only to activate the enthusiasm of the public participation, initiative, to ensure that it is on the right path further and further!

2018-8-21 Geelong-Taipei-New North-po lai ching-showers Discovering the “street corner society” and reading “The flavor of life”. Today, I visited “Nanji Bibimbap”in Wanhua district of Taipei City and “Ludi Community” in New Taipei City with professor Jiang dashu and zhang liya, respectively. What impressed me most was that a group of young people who had been working “Underground,” like Wyett in the United States, had rediscovered the “Street corner society” hidden in the metropolis. Job Discovery: helping others = helping yourself. In the Chinese mainland, young people who have been drifting in Beijing for many years to work hard for their dreams are often referred to as “drifting in the north.” The same is true in Taipei. A-de, a Puli we met at the Rice Bar, is the founder of life’s Potpourri Stone Soup. To dream, scrimp, and save, he chose Taipei Metropolis and rented the cheapest place in Wanhua District to stay. To carry out this work, living in the “Underground” small space (South machine market underground space), he began the implementation of the Grand Dream. Speaking of “Life’s potpourri stone soup,” or the origin of their volunteer activities is to deal with the rest of the Bento problem. Since Bentos are sold exclusively for volunteer activities, they cannot be shared by non-participants, even those who are down and out on the streets. A-de who have a caring personality, “secretly,” takes the food he prepares to the park where there is a relative concentration of street friends. Food distribution is done with the help of a street friend in an orderly manner. The helper, on the other hand, receives three bentos and sends them to his companion, who lives in a corner and cannot move. This scene deeply touched A-de and inspired him to establish a “street corner society.”

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Self-organizing: building a platform = engaging more. To realize this dream, A-de actively called for more loving, willing to care about these “corner society” of friends to join, and through a series of activities raised money for kitchen and food collection. Most of those ingredients are year-olds (provided, of course, they don’t go bad) from family refrigerators. To make these activities sustainable, A-de not only actively applied for government related projects, but also made good use of international charitable funds to obtain financial support. With the growing influence of the “Flavor of life,” even less well-off college students make generous donations. Since “Life’s potpourri stone soup” is such a platform, it effectively helps those who are willing to extend a loving hand but do not have the courage to “touch” the hands of street friends. Theoretical thinking: changing social ties = Changing Destiny. In the process of giving, A-de was not content to deliver food simply and repeatedly. This is because he found that a year ago a man in the crowd who picked up food had an A even a year later. “A” is not physically handicapped or mentally ill. As he communicated more, he found out the reason and background of A’s wandering, and having studied independently, he agrees with psychologist Bruce Alexander on the analysis of drug addiction concluding that “People need to connect, and this may be the real reason for drug addiction.” Inspired by the “Mouse Paradise” experiment, A-de is also trying to explore the deep social reasons for the formation of “Street Friends.” We cannot help but be grateful that our society has this group of people who care and dream, are good at action, dare to work with young people and found that the general people ignored the “street corner society.” With their own actions they aim to remove the constraints of social development of the last “short board” (bucket theory). At the same time, they use their own practices to advance social science research. P. S: Nanji Bibimbap is a space for the underground cooperative to activate its operation. It is an experimental base for sharing economy in a small community. Coresident units/projects also include life Bawei Stone Soup, Green Point Tool Sharing, dreams of urban and rural woodworking classes, Miscanthus Heart start studio. “Rat Paradise” experiment. Bruce K. Alexander found a problem with the design of these experiments in the past. He did a series of “Rat Park” experiments in which rats were placed in places where they could play, eat, and mate with other rats, in which case they wouldn’t drink the poisoned water. The study concluded that drug addiction is only a small part of the problem, and that most heavy addictions have nothing to do with drugs or alcohol. Addiction is not so much a personal problem as a social one. When social bonds are broken by external or internal forces, addictions increase dramatically and become widespread in highly fragmented societies. Addiction is on the rise in fragmented societies as people adapt to extreme social disorder in this way. Addiction is a form of adaptation, not a disease that can be cured, or a moral error that can be corrected through punishment or education.

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2018-8-22 Today, I received a poem from Chen songming village head of Xi’nan. On the one hand, it is a farewell to me; on the other hand, it is a blessing to me. I am very touched. He has served two terms as governor and is fully eligible for re-election this year. As he has done a great deal of work during his term and has received unanimous approval from the people, no one is willing to run against him this year, and thus, he sees himself as a shoo-in for re-election. His wife, Sister Zheng, is an enthusiastic and enterprising leader. She is now vice president of the Zhuzishan Community Development Association, responsible for the care and activities of older adults. Under her leadership, more than 6,000 people were provided public meals for a year also, she let older adults over the age of 60 board the Taipei Arena to perform. Additionally, Li xuanying teacher has strong feelings for Chinese mainland, not only has a wide range of interests but also deep literary attainments. The hidden head poem that comes in handy is a case in point. Hao had the good fortune to visit Puli Teacher Wuhan flies to your precious place It is not easy for teachers to study the Tiandao Good weather in baodao, Taiwan Beautiful Mountain View of the bay A day trip to Canada and the Americas My lord, do not forget your hospitality To see the island in all its glory The trip to Taiwan was well worth the success. 2018-8-28 Taiwan-wuhan Report on the visit to Taiwan for academic exchange. Dear leaders of the college: At the invitation of Professor National Chi Nan University Liao junsong, I had the honor to undergo a 180-day academic exchange visit to Taiwan on March 1. In the past six months, under the guidance of Professor Liao junsong, and with the interest of the Dean of the Department of Public Administration of the College of Humanities, Li Yujun, and his colleagues in the Department of Public Administration, the entire visiting program has been successfully completed, the overall situation of the school visit is reported from three aspects as follows: 1. Learn from diversity Visiting study. Although in recent years I have visited Taiwan many times, but always in a hurry, I did not have time to deepen understanding and experience everything stayed at the “Familiar unfamiliar” level. I not only visited Puli Town Hall and the library, but also visited the Taiwan Historica and the school of Civil Service Human Development. I also followed Professor Liu to Jiayi City to visit the district supervision office, the municipal government, and the city council. I followed Professor

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Zhao Dayu to visit courts and administrative courts in Taizhong, and Zhang Liya to visit communities in Yunlin County and Keelung. These field visits and exchanges give me a strong “sense of the place.” As I looked at the operation mechanism of local government and community in Taiwan with the eye of “the other”, I found many differences. Experiential learning. At the beginning of the new semester, I had the honor to participate in the annual spring hiking activities, which not only let me know the beauty of Jida in all aspects, but also planted in my heart the seeds of being close to nature and loving sports. In the middle of the semester, thanks to the efforts of the department, I had the honor to experience the canoeing and archery in Sun Moon Lake under the one-on-one guidance of the Olympic and Asian Games medal winners. Through a series of experiential learnings, I not only realize the hard work and dedication of professional athletes, but also understood why people around liked sports so much and gradually develop their own sports habits. Jogging three times a week, 5 to 9 km at a time, has become a part of my life. It is also a good habit to ensure that I follow-up more onerous research work. Classroom learning. To further systematize my study, I have listened to Assistant Professor Zhang Liya’s “Social Innovation of villages and towns,” Dr. Wang Qingfeng’s “Local Government and Politics,” and Professor Weng Songran’s “Politics” and other courses. Although the teaching style of the teachers is different, but they have given me a wealth of knowledge and inspired me for my future teaching. For example, teacher Zhang Liya’s curriculum is mainly based on case teaching, which fully arouses students’ enthusiasm, participatory learning and research. Dr. Wang Qingfeng’s curriculum emphasizes a combination of practice and theory; through his rich administrative experience, he can make the dull local system law lively and interesting; the most important feature of Professor Weng’s Course is systematic; through deep and simple explanations, a comprehensive project stimulates students’ thirst for knowledge. At the same time, under the arrangement of the teacher, I also had the honor of thematic sharing in the classroom on mainland youth returning home to start a business and the local governance system. 2. Having in-depth exchanges Meeting exchange. From the “Spring Festival Party” hosted by the President of the Nantou County Government, to the “Cultural policy of the local government” rambled by the deputy director of the Bureau of Culture, to the various USR conferences; from the Working Conference of the program of Humanistic Innovation and Social Practice sponsored by Jida to the “Fourth Academic Symposium on Governance and Development and joint administration of the seven universities” sponsored by Donghai University, I have come to recognize not only the role and responsibility of the Jinan University and its field practice teams in promoting the social responsibility of the Assembly, but also the practice and results of cross-disciplinary, intra-and inter-school innovative collaboration, and realized that there is room for mainland universities to learn in this area. Dinner conversation. Whether in the “Narration and continuation” of the graduation season, or in the general field visit, can see the Department of Public Line teachers

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and students enjoying happy meals, talking about academics and life. Students will take the opportunity to toast and offer tea to their teachers to show their respect, gratitude, and love. At the same time, I never felt left out or embarrassed with my teachers. Whether at the department luncheon or at the end-of-term dinner party, every teacher’s eye is full of kindness and enthusiasm. At the beginning of the semester, everyone knew me as a “stranger.” By the end of the semester, I had become one among them, getting to know each other and even singing together. It is because of you that I sing my “Today.” Friend to friend. As I got to know my colleagues more closely, I got to know more and people. A friend took me to taste authentic Puli snacks another took me to visit the Ditch Reservoir. One invited me to a house interview, and a friend introduced me to new friends. In these daily life activities, I found not only “Belonging” but also “realized” real life, which for my follow-up research provides a rare intuitive understanding. 3. Scientific Research Get the job done. In recent years, the Competent executive authorities China Normal University has carried out a research program of “Understanding China in depth.” In 2016 and 2017, I completed field surveys in villages in Anhui Province and Guizhou Province, respectively, for more than six months. Due to the busy teaching and scientific research work, two investigation reports have not been written. Individuals used the convenience of visiting schools to complete two survey reports totaling 596,000 words. Exploratory research. For the first four months, while writing, I borrowed time from my teachers and alumni to ensure the smooth completion of my research on the ground. I went to Fuxing Water Conservancy station, Nantou Farm Irrigation Association, Jiannan Farm Irrigation Association, and Hualian Farm Irrigation Association and completed field surveys on related topics. In the last two months, the college leaders decided that the theme of my on-the-spot study in ji university should be “Political relations in local governance.” I actively consulted Professor Jiang Dashu, Professor Sun Tongwen, Professor Liao Junsong, and other teachers, and in accordance with their recommendations to read as reference, I actively carried out field research. So far, interviews have been conducted with the chief of the prefecture, representatives of the town’s people, County Councilors, representatives of the town’s people, the director of the District Office of the county chief in Puli, the chief of the prefecture, the director of the party department, and the relevant officials of the farmland and Water Conservancy Association, the Agricultural Association and the Fishery Association, with more than 300,000 words of verbatim transcripts of interviews with people related to religious groups and corporate corporations, as well as the president or director-general of the Association for Community Development. This has provided a solid foundation for writing the follow-up study. Data acquisition. Presently, many of the 371 towns and townships in Taiwan (236 townships, 64 towns, 22 cities and 49 districts) have published local chronicles and have been digitized. I have collected more than 96% of the published local chronicles, to fill in the blanks of the local chronicles of Taiwan in the database of China Rural

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Research Institute. This provides comprehensive data for the comparative study of gras-roots communities across the Taiwan Strait and grassroots social research in Taiwan. At the same time, with the help of Internet resources and technology, I have gathered video and text materials of all the regular meetings of the county councils in Nantou County in 2017. The relationship between the county government and the county council in Taiwan, the role and interaction of political parties and parties in the county council, the relationship between the county government and the Competent executive authorities, and the relationship between the county government and the township government, and the election of local public officials and other related topics, provide a lively case base. Finally, thanks to the college leadership, the school personnel office, the Foreign Affairs Office, and the college leadership for providing me care and support! Without your support, it would have been difficult for me to be invited to National Chi Nan University for a six-month academic exchange visit. Without the opportunity of this visit, I would not have been able to understand in depth the operating mechanism and logic of local governance in Taiwan, nor would I have been able to collect more comprehensive local chronicles of Taiwan. It also would not have been possible to conduct a rare in-depth field survey on the ground. I will complete the academic monograph “Survey of local governance in Taiwan Area – taking Puli Town of Nantou County as an example” in the shortest possible time according to the next work arrangement of the college leaders. It is expected that the tree of friendship between the two universities and the two academies will be evergreen and bear more scientific research results!