Although the "greening" of two state-run enterprises has upset opposition parties and company management, political observers and lawmakers justified the move as "natural."
Defenders of the appointments say the DPP is just doing what the KMT did when it was in power.
"There's nothing wrong with appointing your own men in state-run enterprises when you come to power," said Lee Kuo-hsiung (
Much of the furor over the matter stems from the fact that the DPP used to criticize the KMT for engaging in such practices when it was in power.
"When the DPP was in opposition, it castigated the KMT for deploying unprofessional personnel in state-run businesses and criticized the appointments as political patronage," Lee said.
"But when it comes to power, the DPP is repeating what the KMT used to do," he said.
Facing opposition criticism, DPP lawmaker Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) admitted that the appointments are part of the DPP's plan to pave the way for victory in the year-end mayoral elections, as well as in the 2004 presidential election.
"It is, after all, hard to ignore the resources of state-run companies because they can be used to aid the party's political agendas," he said.
"If they [the appointees] do a good job in their new positions, voters will use their ballots to show their support for us. And if they don't, they'll also let us know."
Since the DPP came to power in May 2000, it has replaced at least four high-ranking officials in state-run corporations.
In May last year, the KMT's Wang Chung-yu (
Both Wang and Kuo have more than 20 years experience in the steel industry.
Last month, the former vice chairman of the Commission of National Corporations (
DPP Secretary-General Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁) is also scheduled to be sworn in as the chairman of Taiwan Sugar Corp (台糖) on Monday.
Wu, who holds an economics degree, is to replace the KMT's Chien Ping-tsai (
Also last month, former DPP lawmaker Cheng Pao-ching (
Yu's 12-year record of success at Taiwan Salt also earned him the chairman's position at another money-making privatized state-run company, Taiwan Fertilizer Company (
Former DPP lawmaker Tseng Chen-nung (曾振農) may also take up the position of chairman at Lucent Technologies Taiwan Telecommunications (美台電訊), a transfer-investment company of the Chunghwa Telecom.
The former chairman of the company, Susan Su (
Lee said that the DPP has legitimate reasons for putting its own people in top spots at state-run businesses.
"When the DPP was in opposition, it didn't have many members from the industrial and business sectors because they [individuals in the private-sector] didn't dare to have any connections with the party," Lee said.
So when it comes to power, the party can only appoint its allies, regardless of their professional abilities, he said.
"Former minister of economic affairs Christine Tsung (
However the situation will improve as the party develops its pool of talent, according to Lee.
Tsai agreed with Lee's sentiment and called on the KMT to reflect on its record before criticizing the ruling party.
"When the KMT was in power, a retired serviceman could become an ambassador and an elementary school graduate a high-ranking government official," Tsai said. "What's wrong with our strategy of putting the right person in the right place?"
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as