Political appointees will be added to the list of officials required to undergo background checks before taking office if the Legislative Yuan approves a pending bill, an Investigation Bureau official said yesterday.
Existing regulations published by the Ministry of Civil Service only require background checks on career civil servants in charge of security affairs or affairs involving major national interests, said Pan Hung-mou (潘鴻謀), a section chief at the bureau.
A draft law proposed by the ministry that has been forwarded to the legislature for consideration would expand the checks to all types of civil servants, including political appointees, Pan said.
Speaking during a meeting of the legislature’s Judiciary, Organic Laws and Statutes Committee, Pan was responding to a call by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠) that the Investigation Bureau conduct comprehensive checks on all Cabinet members, especially on whether they are citizens of, or hold permanent residency rights in, a foreign country.
Wong and the DPP have challenged the allegiance of certain officials in the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration who either once held, allegedly still hold or have applied for a US green card.
In particular, the DPP has demanded the resignation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊), who obtained US permanent resident status in 2005 while serving as the ambassador to Guatemala, but renounced the status one month before assuming his ministerial position on May 20.
Wong yesterday questioned the Investigation Bureau’s failure to conduct background checks on Ou while he served as an ambassador.
Wu Ying (吳瑛), deputy director-general of the bureau, said that the regulations governing background checks on civil servants took effect on Aug. 29, 2003, before Ou had been appointed ambassador to Guatemala.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
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At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
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