The Chief Commissioner of the Commission on the Disciplinary Sanctions of Functionaries Yang Jen-shou (
Wang made the remarks in response to a report by the Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday, which said Yang had asked Wang to communicate his intention to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
"What the paper reported had some truth in it," Wang said.
He said he hadn't had a chance to talk to the president about the matter.
Chen is currently visiting the country's allies in Central America.
The possibility that Yang could be nominated as Judicial Yuan President has raised questions as he has previously served on the Council of Grand Justices. Yang was nominated by Chen in 2003, but resigned the position to take over the office of head of the Commission on the Disciplinary Sanctions of Public Functionaries in January.
The president has not nominated anyone to fill the position left by Yang since then.
Yen Chueh-an (顏厥安), a law professor at National Taiwan University, penned an article opposing Yang's nomination which was published in the Chinese-language China Times' opinion page on Monday.
Yen argued that if Yang was nominated as a grand justice, it would be tantamount to serving two terms, which is against the Constitution.
Wang said yesterday that the controversy over the matter was over whether Yang's nomination would result in him serving a consecutive term or whether it would be regarded as a new term.
"There are different views on this, but it might be that Yang doesn't want to promote any disputes. Therefore, he may reject any nomination," Wang said.
Presidential Office spokesman David Lee (李南陽), who is accompanying the president on his Central American tour, refused to comment yesterday on the United Daily News report, saying only that the president had not finalized the nominees.
Lee said Chen was unlikely to finalize the list until after he returns home and before the legislature meets on Sept. 7.
Meanwhile, Lee added that Chen had assigned Vice President Annette Lu (
Chen entrusted Lu with the task last week and hoped the legislature would review and hopefully confirm his selections soon after he presents the list, Lee said.
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