DPP doles out top party positions among factions

The New Tide (新潮流) and Welfare State Alliance (福利國) factions were the biggest winners in yesterday's DPP Central Executive Committee polls, with each getting three members elected to the Central Standing Committee.

There are a total of 15 Central Standing Committee members and 35 Central Executive Committee members.

Ten New Tide faction members were elected as Central Executive Committee members, three of which were elected as Central Standing Committee members.

Of the nine Welfare State Alliance faction members elected as Central Executive Committee members yesterday, three were elected Central Standing Committee members.

The remaining six Central Executive Committee members are from the Justice Alliance faction (正義連線) and the other six are from the pan-Formosa (泛美麗島系) faction.

Thirty of the 35 Central Executive Committee members were elected from the ranks of the National Congress. The remaining five posts are reserved for the leader of the legislative caucus and the party chairman -- who in turn must appoint the remaining five committee members.

Ten of the 15 Central Standing Committee members are elected from the ranks of the Central Executive Committee.

The five reserved seats for the two committees are President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the Justice Alliance faction, Premier Yu Shyi-kun, DPP legislative leader Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) of the Welfare State Alliance faction (福利國), DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) of the Welfare State Alliance faction and DPP legislator at large Chang Chun-hung (張俊宏) of the New Era Institute faction (新世紀辦公室).

During the election for Central Executive Committee members, Tsai Nan-lung (蔡南隆), who was elected as one of the 30 members, later relinquished his seat in order to allow Lin Dai-hua (林岱樺) of the New Tide faction to be included on the list.

Of the 30 elected Central Executive Committee members, eight were women and five were alternate members.

During the election of the 10 Central Standing Committee members, Chairwoman of the Council of Labor Affairs Chen Chu (陳菊) of the New Tide faction, legislator at large Hsu Jung-hsu (許榮淑) of the New Dynamics faction and Cabinet Secretary-General Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) of the New Tide faction were forced to draw lots after they all received two votes. Chen and Hsu won.

The quota for women on the Central Standing Committee is two.

Commenting on her victory, Hsu said that it came as a big surprise.

"I didn't expect to win -- and many other faction members had tried to persuade me to quit," she said.

The National Congress yesterday also elected 11 Central Review Committee members, who chose DPP legislator Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄) of the Justice Alliance faction to lead the committee.

Central Review Committee members are chosen from National Congress members who have served at local chapters, county or city governments, or as local representatives at provincial or city councils, judges or prosecutors, or as lawyers or accountants.

The National Congress yesterday also approved 11 Arbitration Committee members, who are recommended by the Central Standing Committee. Arbitration Committee members are usually social elites who are said to be politically neutral.