TAIPEI: The fulfillment of a plan, that would merge Taichung city and county into the island's first super-municipality, awaits passage of an amendment to the law on Local Government Systems.

Huang Li-hsing, director of Department of Civil Affairs under the "Ministry of the Interior", said yesterday that the amendment should be passed into law before April. The amended statute will provide the legal basis for the integration of Taichung city and county in central Taiwan by the end of 2010.

"If the amendment is passed before April, it would also have less impact on candidates running in the mayoral and county chief elections at the end of the year," Huang added.

"Minister of the Interior" Liao Liou-yi has referred to the Taichung integration plan as a complicated political process involving several issues. Matters to be resolved include lengths of the terms for the magistrate and the mayor and the status of village and township chiefs in the special, integrated municipality.

However, Liao said, the plan will be nothing but empty talk if the relevant legislation is not passed.

Under the amendment, Taichung city and county will become the first adjoining city and county to merge into a larger municipal entity. The merger will also serve as a test for similar plans being considered for northern and southern Taiwan.

A government plan also proposes that Taipei city, county and neighboring Keelung city be integrated into a single municipality in northern Taiwan. In the south Kaohsiung city and county would be merged into a third special municipality.

Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu confirmed yesterday that he had traveled with Taichung County Magistrate Huang Chung-sheng to Taipei several days ago to seek support for the legislative amendment from Kuomintang Chairman Wu Po-hsiung.

CNA

(HK Edition 02/10/2009 page1)