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Officials evasive on Kuan and Examination Yuan

By Ko Shu-Ling
STAFF REPORTER, WITH STAFF WRITER
Friday, Aug 29, 2008, Page 3

The Presidential Office yesterday declined to confirm whether Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman John Kuan (關中) had been tapped to head the Examination Yuan.

Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chih (王郁琦) said President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was not expected to nominate a candidate until the middle of next month, when the Legislative Yuan is scheduled to reconvene.

Wang said the office would announce the president’s nominee at the appropriate time.

KMT Chairman Wu Poh-­hsiung (吳伯雄) said yesterday he would respect the president’s decision on the nomination of the head of the Examination Yuan, but added that Kuan would make a suitable choice because of his experience in the affairs of that body.

Kuan was a responsible individual in his capacity as the party’s vice chairman and he believed Kuan would do a good job in whatever position he held, Wu said.

KMT legislators Tsai Chin-lung (蔡錦隆) and Chu Fong-chi (朱鳳芝) yesterday expressed support for having Kuan as Examination Yuan president.

“Vice Chairman Kuan is a former vice president of the Examination Yuan. I think it would be very appropriate for him to be the next head of this government branch,” Tsai said.

However, Tsai said that Kuan would have to step down as KMT vice chairman and refrain from participating in KMT affairs if he were to become president of the Examination Yuan.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said his caucus was “100 percent opposed to Kuan taking over at the Examinationm Yuan.”

“President Ma has said that he would not nominate KMT members to head the Control Yuan and the Examination Yuan,” Ker said. “Why is he going back on his promises now?”

Ker said that the KMT had its eyes on the billions of dollars controlled by the Civil Servant Pension Fund and that nominating Kuan was part of the KMT’s scheme to channel those funds to the party.

Additional reporting by Flora Wang
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