The appointment of Chen Chi-mai (
President Chen Shui-bian (
This was the president's second wave of key appointments this week. Chiou I-jen (邱義仁), secretary-general of the National Security Council, and Mark Chen (陳唐山), secretary general of the Presidential Office, swapped positions earlier this week.
The DPP legislative caucus said Chen Chi-mai was a "very appropriate" choice for the post.
Ker Chien-ming (
For his part, Chen Chi-mai vowed to serve with humility, saying he would do his utmost to assist President Chen in cross-strait and diplomatic affairs.
However, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and its ally the People First Party (PFP) questioned the president's motive in appointing Chen Chi-mai, a protege of the president and a rising star until a Thai labor riot in 2005 brought an abrupt stop to his otherwise smooth political career.
Chen Chi-mai stepped down as acting Kaohsiung mayor to take responsibility for a riot in August 2005 by Thai laborers working on the city's mass rapid transit system (MRT) to protest their harsh treatment and inhumane management.
Subsequent investigations into the riot uncovered a series of irregularities in the MRT project involving Chen Che-nan (陳哲男), former deputy secretary-general of the Presidential Office and the father of Chen Chi-mai.
Hsu Shao-ping (徐少萍), KMT legislator and caucus whip, said Chen Che-nan was indicted for influence peddling and as a result the public has a poor impression of Chen Che-nan and his son.
"The president has a total disregard for public sentiment and is only thinking of his own protege," she said.
KMT Legislator Alex Fai (費鴻泰) said that the president's latest wave of personnel appointments was a signal that Chen was afraid of being perceived as a "lame duck" before his second term expires in May next year.
Lai said that the president had invited his protege to help him with preparing for two major elections ahead -- the year-end legislative elections and the presidential election in March next year -- to prove that he was still in command.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS