Former minister of the interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) has been selected as the next secretary-general of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the party announced yesterday.
“A soldier does not have the right to choose the battlefield,” Hsu said yesterday of his new role in an upcoming party reshuffle.
President William Lai (賴清德) selected Hsu to serve as secretary-general, leaving him with “no choice, but to accept,” Hsu said at a media conference following a meeting of the party’s Central Standing Committee.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Asked about reports that he had given up an annual salary of NT$8 million (US$263,957) to assume the role, he said that his “salary as a lawyer was even higher.”
Passion for his career, not money, was his main motivation, he added.
Hsu said he first received a phone call from Lai’s office director before Lai approached him directly to ask his opinion of the backlash against the DPP after the failure of last month’s recall campaign.
When Lai was premier, now-Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) was DPP secretary-general, while Hsu served as spokesperson and minister without portfolio, he said.
Lai, Cho and Hsu worked well together, Hsu said, adding that then-Presidential Office secretary-general Chen Chu (陳菊) dubbed them “brothers.”
“Whenever Lai or Cho needed me, I was there,” Hsu added.
Hsu would succeed Lin Yu-chang (林右昌), who resigned following the failure of the recall votes.
All 24 lawmakers of the main opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) who were on the recall ballot survived the vote, ensuring that the KMT, along with the opposition Taiwan People’s Party, maintain control of the legislature.
Meanwhile, Lai is to appoint Cheng Chun-sheng (鄭俊昇), former director of the DPP poll center, as deputy secretary-general.
Hsu said he had confidence in Cheng, adding that he is a “polling expert” who could make up for Hsu’s own shortcomings.
He would “not rule out” the possibility of holding regular livestreams on YouTube once he assumes the position, as he is familiar with hosting programs and the move would be in line with the party’s wish for the public to better understand its political directions, goals and positions, Hsu said.
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