President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) nominee for vice president of the Examination Yuan, Wu Jin-lin (伍錦霖), yesterday gave “a 100 percent guarantee” that he would stay on until his six-year term ends if the nomination is approved.
During a credential review plenary session yesterday, Wu was bombarded with questions from lawmakers from across the political spectrum about his record after he became secretary-general of the Presidential Office halfway through his previous term as vice president of the Examination Yuan.
“I can assure you that I never took the initiative to seek any official position in my entire life. Neither have I tried to influence President Ma on his nominations,” Wu repeatedly told lawmakers.
Wu served as vice president of the Examination Yuan for two years, but the position has been left unfilled since January last year, when he was appointed secretary-general of the Presidential Office.
After Ma won a second term in January, former deputy legislative speaker Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) was appointed to succeed Wu, and not long after, the 65-year-old Wu was again nominated for vice president of the Examination Yuan.
“You are about to set a record in the 100 years of the Republic of China” as the legislature will have a confirmation vote on the same person being nominated for a position for which he had been previously nominated, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Cheng-er (林正二) said.
When Lin asked why Ma did not nominate anyone for vice president of the Examination Yuan while Wu was at the Presidential Office and then renominated him right after he left the Presidential Office, Wu said he was not in a position to answer.
“It’s the president’s right to nominate. All I considered was whether the nomination conforms to the Constitution, whether I would be competent for the job and whether I could make a contribution,” Wu said.
In response to Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女), who said Wu was “the only talent in President Ma’s eyes,” Wu said he never made any suggestions to Ma on whom he should nominate.
Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) asked Wu if he could be designated premier given that he has long been a confidant of Ma. Wu replied by vowing to complete his six-year tenure if his nomination is approved.
People First Party Legislator Chang Show-foong (張曉風) said that Ma may just as well continue to leave the position vacant.
“The position has been left vacant for such a long time, it shows that it is not an important position. Why not leave it as it is and cut costs?” she said.
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