A source from the Presidential Office said yesterday that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) may appoint Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文), a senior adviser to the president, or Chang Chun-hung (張俊宏), a senior lawmaker, as president of the Examination Yuan.
The source cited former premier Chang Chun-hsiung's (
"Though President Chen's first choice for head of the Examination Yuan was former premier Chang Chun-hsiung, the president needs Chang to act as an executor, in whom he can totally place his trust, to handle party affairs, especially the mission of coordinating the party's internal factions to jointly campaign for Chen in the presidential election." the source told the Taipei Times.
After the DPP's Extraordinary National Congress on April 20 approved the revision to allow President Chen to assume the party's chairmanship and allow the chairman to appoint up to three vice chairmen, Chen began working on personnel changes at DPP headquarters.
"Because the Extraordinary National Congress failed to pass the revision making the position of party secretary-general part-time -- which means that party lawmakers can't be appointed to the position -- it becomes a tough job to find a heavyweight to fill the full-time position of DPP secretary-general," the source said.
President Chen said the position is critical as the person who assumes it will practically lead the party during the year-end mayoral elections for Taipei and Kaohsiung, and, more importantly, the individual will have to create an effective campaign team for the presidential election in 2004.
"The position of vice chairman can be regarded as an honorable job," the source said, "while the secretary-general should take responsibility for executing party affairs.
"Therefore, the president adjusted his original personnel arrangement by putting former premier Chang into the secretary-general job to help him deal with party affairs," the source said.
"Were Chang to be appointed president of the Examination Yuan, he might waste his decades of experience and talent. Now he can help with the DPP's internal reform as well as the future presidential campaign."
The source denied that the president's consideration was swayed by Chang's private affairs. On April 13, the former premier married his mistress of three decades, Chu Ah-yi (朱阿英). The move followed Chang's divorce from his long-estranged wife, Hsu Jui-yin (徐瑞英).
Many opposition lawmakers have attacked Chang for betraying his wife and have threatened to reject any appointment of Chang as president of the Examination Yuan.
Chen declared earlier this month that he plans to present the list of the nominees for the 19 members of the Examination Yuan as well as the body's president and vice president to the Legislative Yuan in May.
After the legislature's qualification-review meeting, the new Examination Yuan members are scheduled to assume their posts on Sept. 1.
"Now the possible choice for the president is senior DPP lawmaker Chang Chun-hung, who once served as the party's acting chairman," the source said.
"As to the arrangement for Yao Chia-wen, who once expressed a strong willingness to run for the party's chairmanship or take the position of Examination Yuan president," the source added," he may become the vice chairman of the DPP."
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