Following former independent legislator Walis Pelin (瓦歷斯貝林), former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chiu Chuei-chen (邱垂貞) has joined the Cabinet as a senior consultant.
Chiu is a senior DPP member and lawmaker but failed in his re-election bid in December.
His new job will involve facilitating Cabinet negotiations and communication with the legislature.
Chiu is well-versed with legislative procedures and has good connections in different political parties, qualities which make him a perfect choice for the post, a Government Information Office official statement said.
Premier Frank Hsieh (
In addition to Chiu, former DPP legislator Chen Tsung-yi (
Walis Pelin joined the team on Thursday as chairman of the Council of Indigenous Peoples.
There are three senior consultants at the Executive Yuan in addition to Chiu.
They are former Kaohsiung City Government spokesman Lin Yao-wen (
Lin is also director of the premier's office, while Kuo is director of the Cabinet's Anti-Terrorism Office.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
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