Change of the guard for TSU as losers vie for jobs

After the setback of a disappointing performance in the legislative elections, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) is reorganizing and working on internal reforms.

According to TSU sources, TSU Chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文) will resign as party chairman at the end of next month, and a number of unsuccessful candidates are expected to take up work as party officials.

The new line-up of senior officials will be announced on Monday after a meeting of the TSU central executive committee, TSU Secretary-General Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉) said yesterday.

"We will make public the new officials' names and elect new executive committee members next Monday. Hopefully it will increase the prospects of the TSU," Lin said.

Lin, who announced he would also step down to shoulder responsibility for the election failure, yesterday confirmed reports that Huang would quit and a new chairman installed on Feb. 1.

However, Lin declined to confirm if he and Huang met with former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) on Wednesday to talk about changes to personnel, saying that it was impossible to speculate on the identity of the new chairman.

Favored candidates for TSU chairman are Taiwan Advocates vice president Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝), former National Security Council senior advisor and former TSU secretary-general Su Chin-chiang (蘇進強), national policy advisor to the president Chen Yung-hsing (陳永興) and Chen Po-chih (陳博志), chairman of Taiwan Thinktank. All declined to comment on the matter.

A number of unsuccessful TSU candidates who nonetheless garnered a strong vote are expected to serve as senior officials.

According to Lin, TSU Chiayi City legislative candidate Ling Tzu-chu (凌子楚), highly regarded in some quarters for his way with words and good looks, might take over as TSU spokesman, Lin said.

Unsuccessful Taipei City candidate Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘) and Tainan County candidate Chien Lin Hui-chien (錢林慧君) will serve as, respectively, director of the legislative caucus office and director of the department for women's development.

Rookie TSU candidate Chiu Teh-hung (邱德宏) will become director of the Youth Department, while Holmes Liao (廖宏祥) will head the department of international affairs. Liu I-te (劉一德) will take over as director of the TSU's department of organization and development.