DPP announces new party posts after reshuffling

Incoming Democratic Progres-sive Party (DPP) chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) announced on Saturday that the deputy secretary-general of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), Yen Wan-ching (顏萬進), will take up the post of deputy secretary-general and the party will complete a reshuffling of positions before Feb. 15.

Several new faces are set to assume posts in the DPP when Su takes the helm of the party next Tuesday.

According to an announcement issued by Su on Saturday, Yen will take over the position from incumbent DPP deputy secretary-general Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱), who will step down.

"Yen is qualified for the post given that he has extensive experience in politics, and good skills in negotiation and coordination," Su said in a news release.

"Yen's performance working for the DPP in previous election campaigns has been impressive," Su said. "I believe that Yen will be a plus for the DPP and that other new members will also work hard for the upcoming elections of local heads [county chiefs and mayors]."

Yen, 41, graduated from Chengchi University's Law School and then obtained a masters degree in law from Kyoto University. He was one of the early leaders of student movements in the 1990s that called for democracy and liberty.

After graduating from Kyoto University, Yen returned to Taiwan and served as a researcher at the Institute for National Policy Research. He then worked for DPP New Tide faction (新潮流) stalwart Lin Cho-shui (林濁水), as director of Lin's legislative office. Since then, Yen has been viewed as a member of the New Tide faction.

Prior to taking the position of SEF deputy secretary-general in 2000, Yen served as director of the DPP's Department of Chinese Affairs and the vice director of the DPP's policy committee.

The DPP currently has two deputy secretaries-general. One assists the secretary-general with party affairs and the other deals with communicating with the press.

Another DPP deputy secretary-general, Lee Ying-yuan (李應元), will transfer over to serve as Cabinet secretary-general. He also recently announced that he would seek the nomination for the candidacy of Taipei County Commissioner.

The DPP will name another new secretary-general soon, Su said.

Meanwhile, former deputy director of the DPP's policy committee Wu Hsiang-jung (吳祥榮) will become chief of the DPP's public survey center, and Tung Li-wen (董立文), vice president of the Foundation on International and Cross-Strait Studies will become director of the DPP's department of Chinese Affairs.

DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) will be director of the policy committee, and DPP Taipei City Councilor Lan Shih-tsung (藍世聰) will serve as director of the DPP's Department of Social Development.

Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) will once again serve as director of the Department of International Affairs and Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) will also return as head of the Department of Women's Development.