The Executive Yuan yesterday rejected an allegation by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that outgoing Central Election Commission (CEC) chairman Chen In-chin (陳英鈐) is using a technicality to delay his pending departure to secure a nearly NT$300,000 year-end bonus.
Chen on Sunday last week tendered his verbal resignation to Premier William Lai (賴清德) following criticism over the long delays at certain polling stations for the nine-in-one elections a day earlier, but was only placed “on leave,” KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director-general Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said on Facebook on Friday.
The commission was also blasted for allowing people who joined the line at polling stations before they were scheduled to close to continue voting, while ballots were already being counted.
Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times
Citing a CEC document that was issued on Friday, Hung said it showed that Chen was only on leave and, as of Friday, had yet to vacate his post.
“According to regulations concerning the distribution of year-end bonuses, political appointees who are still in office on Dec. 1 are entitled to a year-end bonus equivalent to 1.5 months of their salary. That means, by pretending to resign, Chen can receive a nearly NT$300,000 year-end bonus,” Hung said, adding that Chen was “shameless.”
Chen offered his verbal and written resignation on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26 respectively, after which one to two days were still required for the premier to issue an acceptance letter, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said yesterday.
Chen’s departure date has been set for tomorrow, Kolas said, adding that the date was recommended by Chen after considering the time needed for a smooth transition and administrative procedures, and the Executive Yuan respected it.
As Chen was “on loan” from National Central University, his resignation would not affect his receipt of a year-end bonus, because the calculation would use his salary as CEC head for his period of service at the commission and his income at the university for the time after that, she said.
Unconvinced, Hung said that Chen’s salary as CEC head was definitely higher than what he would earn as a college professor, so his departure date would affect the amount of money he receives.
He said the Executive Yuan’s explanation only went to show that President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration is incapable of reflecting on its own mistakes.
Additional reporting by CNA
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