Clement Chang (
"President Chen nominated me with the hope of resolving the nation's political confrontations and disagreements among political parties," Chang said at a news conference yesterday.
Chang said he was informed by Chen of the nomination last Friday night when he met with the president.
"I told President Chen that I'm already 75, wouldn't that be too old for the job? And he told me that I am still healthy, have a young mind and can still serve the nation," said Chang, founder of Tamkang University.
A member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), Chang served as speaker of the Taipei City Council from 1981 to 1989 and was minister of transportation and communications from 1989 to 1991.
Chang's candidacy, however, has met with challenges in the Legislative Yuan in light of his resignation in 1991 from his ministerial post over allegations involving the purchase of a large number of shares in the Kuo Hua Life Insurance company.
Chang was attacked by opposition legislators as well as some DPP members as a corrupt politician unfit to be president of the Control Yuan.
Chang yesterday dismissed the allegations as a "misunderstanding," saying that he was never indicted in the case and was only asked to testify as a witness.
Chang added that Chen, who then served as a legislator and criticized him because of the case, later understood the issue and that "they had kept up a good friendship ever since."
Chang yesterday said that he originally didn't want to make any public comments until the Legislative Yuan approved the nomination. But in view of the attacks on the Presidential Office's list of 29 nominees for positions in the Control Yuan -- which Chang called "garbage" -- Chang said he can't help but come out and say something.
Noting that he is a member of the KMT's Central Evaluation Committee, Chang showed the press his KMT permanent member's card, adding that the attack from KMT legislators "is totally unreasonable."
Chang revealed that he had tried to arrange a visit with KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
unchanged list
Meanwhile, Presidential Office Secretary-General Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday said the Presidential Office will not change its list of 29 nominees for positions in the Control Yuan.
In a bid for the public to gain a better understanding of each of the nominees, the Presidential Office will arrange an event tomorrow to introduce them. Su said that he will also accompany the nominees in a visit to the Legislative Yuan in the near future to try to win legislators' support.
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