The Presidential Office yesterday dismissed allegations that it had transfered the chauffeur of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and those of other high-ranking presidential officials during Chen’s presidency because of political considerations.
Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Lai Feng-wei (賴峰偉) said the transfers were part of a reform effort, which he said deserved encouragement, but was unfortunately misunderstood by the media.
“We find the report false, unfair and unacceptable,” he said.
Lai said the transfers were subscribed under an Executive Yuan regulation banning government sub-division heads from having public vehicles and hiring drivers, leaving the Presidential Office with 20 redundant chauffeurs.
It was also a common practice that the president, vice president, Presidential Office secretary-general and two deputy secretaries-general leave their chauffeurs at the Presidential Office when they leave their positions, Lai said.
“The president thinks that the Presidential Office should set an example for other government branches to follow by cutting down on excessive manpower,” he said. “It is a win-win situation for government agencies that have redundant workers and those that are short of people.”
Lai said the Presidential Office first obtained the consent from the people it transferred, adding that their salaries and benefits were not affected and that some thanked them for the transfer because they had more work to do and made more money at their new posts.
Lai made the remarks in response to media inquiries about a report published in the latest issue of Next Magazine. The magazine reported that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) ordered the transfers under the guise of reform. A list was made in advance to eliminate personnel supporting the pan-green camp so they would not leak information to the media, it said, adding that 11 people were blacklisted, including Chen’s chauffeur. Nine who were transferred did not volunteer to do so, but left because they were blacklisted, it said.
Lai said he did not know anything about the list, nor did Ma or Presidential Office Secretary-General Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) know anything about it. Lai said there was no political consideration concerning the transfers.
Liu Kuo-hsiang (劉國祥), director of the Presidential Office’s Third Bureau, said 10 chauffeurs were transferred and six retired. Only four or five of those transferred served during the administrations of Chen or former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).
Liu said some “did not feel comfortable” at first and only a few volunteered. However, they came back to thank them for the transfer because they felt more useful at the new jobs, adding that he was “surprised” to see the report.
A presidential official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that it was a habit based on trust that sitting presidents do not use the chauffeurs of retired presidents.
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