Former Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) vice chairman Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) will be named to replace Washington-bound council Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), sources said yesterday.
Wu is scheduled to leave for the US later this month to take up his new position as representative to Washington.
Chen refused to confirm or deny the appointment yesterday.
He did admit that senior Presidential Office officials had asked about his interest in the job.
"[High-ranking officials] did ask me about it," Chen said. "But whether I will take the job depends on their decision."
According to the sources, Chen's appointment to head the council is a "sure thing."
"Chen's experience in serving as the vice chairman of the council makes him a candidate to succeed Wu. Chen is one of the specialists in cross-strait relations that have close contact with the Presidential Office," the sources said, adding that Chen's appointment would be announced before Wu leaves for the US next week.
Chen served as the council's vice chairman from 2000 to 2004 and is now a professor at the National Taiwan University's Graduate Institute of National Development. He was also one of the academics who recently drafted a "second republic" constitution.
The draft constitution states that the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in 1912 and relocated to Taiwan in 1949 after the establishment of the People's Republic of China. The 1912-1949 entity is considered the "first republic" of the ROC.
Chen said that the "second republic" constitution was written according to the needs and political reality of Taiwan and that it could provide a constitutional authorization for cross-strait negotiations.
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