Taiwan News
Date: 2016-04-16
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je and his predecessor Hau
Lung-bin quarreled Saturday over who was to blame for the recent decision to end the contract with developer Farglory Group to complete the controversial Taipei Dome.
Work on the complex, centered on a 40,000-seat stadium, was halted last year amid concern by the Taipei City Government that it posed threats to safety, while the price tag also formed a point of discussion between the outspoken Ko and Farglory tycoon Chao Teng-hsiung.
Earlier in the week, the two sides agreed that the contract could be dissolved, though the city said it would not cost even “half a penny,” while Farglory was hinting at compensation and other payments of up to NT$37 billion (US$1.14 billion).
Criticized by some for his handling of the problem and for the long time it was taking for a solution to be found, Ko said he was only solving other people’s problems, a reference to previous mayors, President Ma Ying-jeou and especially Ko’s immediate predecessor, Hau Lung-bin, both of the Kuomintang. [FULL STORY]