Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) yesterday sat down with 88 advisers to the Executive Yuan for a two-hour closed-door meeting followed by lunch, with some of the attendees being voter brokers who are influential in mobilizing people in elections.
Among the participants who have drawn media attention were Chen Ting-yun (陳釘雲), a former president of the Changhua County Farmland Irrigation Association, and Liang Chun-liang (梁俊良), former president of the Taitung County Farmland Irrigation Association.
Observers say that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has long knitted together local networks of politicians in every country and city for the purpose of mobilizing votes.
Also at the meeting, two Cabinet advisers were appointed: Chen Tien-pu (陳田圃), who is connected with former Kaohsiung City Council speaker Chen Tien-mao (陳田錨), whose family is considered to be one of the three most politically influential in Greater Kaohsiung; and former National Assembly member Lin Chin-nung (林欽濃), a leader of Greater Taichung’s Red Faction.
Also attending was former Pingtung County Council speaker Chen Chin-hsing (陳進興), a local faction leader who has been campaigning for KMT Kaohsiung mayoral candidate, Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) — who served as Executive Yuan minister without portfolio since 2012.
The number of advisers to the Executive Yuan, a position without remuneration, has increased to 200 from 40 since 2012, when Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) was premier.
Jiang met the other 112 advisers on Friday last week.
In his opening remarks yesterday, Jiang said he appreciated suggestions the advisers have been offering to the Cabinet on policy implementation, saying that they are elites and have rich experience and professionalism from all walks of life.
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