Tainan mayor William Lai ended his 234-day boycott of the Tainan City Council to give policy remarks as the city addresses a dengue fever outbreak that has sickened 2,500 people and killed four.

Lai, who belongs to the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), had boycotted the council meetings to protest what he deemed the mishandling of an investigation of alleged vote-buying by council speaker Lee Chuan-chiao of the KMT. Lai’s boycott had been highly controversial, and he was impeached by the Control Yuan for “gross negligence” and faces possible removal from office.