Yilan Railway Elevated Project Funding Sparks Political Clash Among White, Green, and Blue Camps

By Central News Agency reporter Wang Chao-yu, Yilan, June 15

A funding dispute over the Yilan railway elevation project has sparked political confrontation. The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) criticized the construction budget as a 'bounced check' and labeled Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) county magistrate candidate Lin Kuo-chang a puppet. The DPP hit back, accusing Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Wu Tsung-hsien of directing political attacks to smear and undermine Yilan's development. Wu's campaign office claimed the green camp is diverting attention.

Chen Wan-hui, chair of the TPP Yilan County Party branch, said at a press conference today that while Lin repeatedly claims to represent all citizens, it is obvious to everyone that Lin is merely a puppet of the New Tide faction. 'Is Lin aiming to be the magistrate for all people, or just the magistrate for the New Tide?' she questioned.

Wang Chien-ming, a TPP candidate for the Yilan County Council, pointed out that under a high-profile press release by Executive Yuan's policy adviser Chen Chin-te, the central government created the impression of a 'big red envelope' by reducing the local burden to NT$5.755 billion. However, of the central government's NT$4.8 billion contribution, approximately NT$1.5 billion consists of self-financing funds that will eventually need to be repaid by the local government. Moreover, the critical land acquisition cost of NT$3.3 billion has not been clearly approved—making the entire package a 'bounced check.'

In response, Chi Chia-chin, chair of the DPP Yilan County Party, stated that Chen Wan-hui holds the title of 'Chief of the Guidance Committee' in Wu Tsung-hsien's campaign team, indicating today's press conference was entirely orchestrated by Wu. The railway elevation project has already been approved, and Chen's rush to score political points suggests a behind-the-scenes political deal with Wu. Accusing Wu of using smear tactics to label a major infrastructure project as a 'bounced check,' Chi emphasized that such actions show no regard for the people of Yilan.

Cheng Hao-wen, spokesperson for Wu Tsung-hsien's campaign, argued that Chi's baseless accusations reveal that the TPP's press conference struck a nerve, prompting an angry attempt to divert attention. Chen and others raised concrete issues, yet Lin's team has not responded. Instead, the DPP party apparatus launched political attacks against Wu, staging a farcical 'Zhang Fei beating Yue Fei' drama. 'The people's eyes are clear,' Cheng said. 'There's no need to artificially color the truth to deceive the public.' (Edited by Chang Ya-ching) 1150615