There was another reshuffling yesterday of Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) administration as Ko approved the resignation of Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Beatrice Hsieh (謝佩霓) and appointed attorney Yuan Hsiu-hui (袁秀慧) as head of legal affairs.
Hsieh resigned for personal health reasons, saying that she hoped to get some rest after presiding over a string of World Design Capital events, Taipei City Government spokesman Sidney Lin (林鶴明) said.
Ko said that he was grateful for Hsieh’s numerous contributions during her short stint, the spokesman said.
Photo: CNA
During Hsieh’s time in office, the Taipei Performing Arts Center passed a review by the Ministry of Culture to become a public-sector legal person; the Taipei Fine Arts Museum Archive construction project was confirmed after languishing in limbo for two decades and Taipei won its bid to hold its first internationally recognized artistic event, the Nuit Blanche art festival, Lin quoted Ko as saying.
Hsieh, who has been knighted by France, Italy and the Czech Republic, has a global vision, which is evidenced by the number of international events she had managed to organize while in office and which greatly helped Taipei expand its ties overseas, Lin quoted Ko as saying.
As for the city’s new top lawyer, Yuan has an extensive resume, having served as secretary-general of the Bar Association of Keelung, standing director of the Taipei Awakening Association, director of the National Alliance of Taiwan Women’s Associations and a member of the Taipei Clean Government Committee, Lin said.
Yuan’s leadership will bolster the city’s legal department and facilitate implementation of city policies, Lin quoted Ko as saying.
Yuan is filling the position left vacant by the resignation of Yang Fang-ling (楊芳玲), who stepped down because of a “conflict” of views with Ko, including the mayor’s decision last month to reinstate former Zhongshan Municipal Junior High School music teacher Hsiao Hsiao-ling (蕭曉玲), who sued the city eight years ago for wrongful termination.
In related news, Taipei Department of Education Acting Commissioner Tseng Tsan-chin (曾燦金) has been named commissioner, succeeding Tang Chih-min (湯志民), who also resigned after Ko reinstated Hsiao.
Tseng has worked in the education sector for almost 30 years and has a good understanding of the system, which will be valuable in carrying out her new duties, Lin said.
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