Taipei Councilor Defends Document Requests Amid KMT Criticism, Cites Digitization and Oversight

Taipei City Councilor Chien Shu-pei is embroiled in a dispute with the Kuomintang (KMT) party over her requests for government documents. The KMT has accused her of seeking information that would necessitate the use of over one million sheets of paper, questioning the scale and purpose of her inquiries.

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The city council's official documents and responses to information requests have long been digitized. Since someone is alleging that I requested over 1 million sheets of paper, of course, I want to know how much paper the city government agencies actually use and how much they buy with their budget. Is it being supervised? Is anyone wasting public funds under the guise of information requests? This is something a councilor should supervise.

In response, Chien stated that official government communications and document requests have long been digitized. She argued that her request for statistics on the procurement of copy paper by various city government agencies was a legitimate oversight function. She aims to investigate potential waste of public funds under the guise of official requests.

Chien emphasized that in a democratic society, transparency is paramount and that citizens have the right to scrutinize government operations. She criticized the city government for selectively releasing information about her requests, advocating for a comprehensive public platform where all councilors' document requests can be viewed under the same standards.

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A democratic society fears not openness and transparency, but partial disclosure and selective transparency. Only full disclosure can prevent misinterpretation and rumor-mongering, truly implementing an open government. Taipei City government, do not be afraid; councilors requesting information transparently is a matter of course, providing data for the public to examine.

The councilor also suggested that the KMT's accusations might be politically motivated, particularly after a recent exchange where Mayor Chiang Wan-an reportedly deflected her questions on budget increases for tree cutting and sunshade expenses. Chien asserted that challenging document requests is a fundamental aspect of a councilor's duty and that attempts to frame it as inappropriate behavior are an effort to evade accountability.

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Authoritarian and dictatorial governments do not have councilors requesting information! Chiang Wan-an is trying to frame councilors' information requests as improper behavior, attempting to create an authoritarian environment so he can evade supervision. I believe any representative elected by the people will stand firm and not back down due to such suppression.