Yao leads Examination Yuan chief hopefuls

Senior advisor to the president Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) is the most likely candidate to be appointed president of the Examination Yuan, a Presidential Office source said yesterday. Yao's pro-independence tinge, however, may make legislative approval problematic.

"Actually, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) still hasn't made his decision," said the source, "but Senior Advisor Yao has expressed a strong willingness to do the job if the president appoints him."

Presidential Office spokesman James Huang(黃志芳) also told reporters that President Chen would continue consulting party heavyweights and listening to suggestions from opposition parties before making a final decision.

The president has postponed publicizing the names of new Examination Yuan candidates and leaders for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that negotiations with the opposition about who should be nominated remains ongoing. In addition, budget deliberations for state-owned businesses and internal DPP reforms, including the arrangement of Central Headquarters' personnel, have taken up much of the president's time.

"We continue to negotiate with the opposition on the name list for the 19 new members," the aide said, "besides, the Legislative Yuan is busy reviewing the budgets of state-owned enterprises, so the appointment of Examination Yuan personnel can wait until late May."

Another DPP source revealed to the Taipei Times that Yao and Chang chun-hung (張俊宏), a senior lawmaker and DPP faction leader, are the party's choices for Examination Yuan President and Vice Chairman of the DPP.

"Yao prefers to be with the President while Chang has asked the President to reconsider appointing him due to a number of past personal problems.

At issue would likely be Chang's reportedly messy divorce from DPP lawmaker Hsu Jung-shu (許榮淑). Chang has told the president that any hearings on his appointment would likely drag some dirty laundry on the issue out into the open.

Chang and Yao were both members of the Kaoshiung eight during the 1979 Kaoshiung Incident. Chang's long marriage to Hsu, who was his wife during the Kaoshiung Incident, was considered too important to the party to end. Thus, sources say, their marriage continued for years on that basis.

"That might make it difficult for him to win legislative approval," the source said. "Under the circumstances, Yao appears to have the advantage in the competition to lead the Examination Yuan."

Yao, who succeeded the DPP's first chairman Chiang Peng-chien (江鵬堅) to become the head of the party from 1987 to 1988, had been asked to serve as the Examination Yuan's minister of personnel.

Yao declined the arrangement, but became a senior advisor to the president, one of the five paid advisor posts.

There are both paid and unpaid senior advisors to the president. Only five of the positions are paid and come with an office at the Presidential Office.

Yao declared he would run in the DPP chairmanship election earlier this year and then, while the party's current leader Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) suggested revising the DPP charter to allow the president to double as chairman, Yao expressed his opposition."