Compared to the pan-blue alliance, which is engaged in an internal struggle over transferring power to a younger generation, President Chen Shui-bian (
Having won a second term, Chen is displaying self-confidence and improving upon his formerly closed style of policy-making in order to incorporate power-sharing, factional balance and the cultivation of talent into his new administration.
With Chen's new Cabinet and a network of officials now established in the national security system and in the diplomatic corps, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is establishing a basis from which it could establish itself as the permanent ruling party, said senior DPP Legislator Hung Chi-chang (
Compared to four years ago, when Chen was confronted with a lack of governmental talent within the DPP and had to select a number of figures from outside his party, the new government is now a veritable cornucopia of talent in a wide range of fields -- including people recommended by former president Lee Teng-hui (
"When A-bian (
Hong says that following this year's presidential election, Chen has promoted people on the basis of experience, taking into account the esteem in which the appointees are held both within the party and outside it.
"Chen no longer needs to rely on outside forces. Those who were promoted before their time have reached maturity and, in his appointments this time around, Chen is looking confidently ahead toward four years -- perhaps even eight years -- of stable government," Hong said.
Another observer says that Chen has done a good job of developing future DPP presidential candidates. The DPP's "four stars" -- Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang (
mutual trust
"Su's appointment as secretary-general of the Presidential Office brings him to the very center of power and policy-making, and this was done in order to develop his experience in running the country. If he is successful as secretary-general, he will be the next premier," said Chen Sung-shan (
"In addition, A-bian has taken pains to relinquish some power and give it to Yu, enabling Yu, in the process of reshuffling the Cabinet, to allocate posts in such a way that the Cabinet will become his own base of support. At the same time, in the organization of national security, cross-strait affairs and diplomatic staff, Chen has accepted Lu's favorite candidates, allowing a team to emerge that has been forged by the exercise of mutual trust between the president and vice-president," Chen Sung-shan said.
As for Hsieh -- who is less than halfway through his second term as mayor of Kaohsiung -- Chen cannot yet appoint this political giant to any post. Chen Sung-shan says that Hsieh is regarded as the "possessor of the greatest intellect in the party."
Chen has therefore appointed DPP Legislator Cho Jung-tai (
"Chen has allowed the four eligible presidential candidates to take up battle stations in order to give them every opportunity to compete, as well as to provide an equal balance of power, preventing any one of them from being dominant at the outset and turning Chen Shui-bian into a lame duck president too early on," Chen Song-shan said.
Regarding the 2006 Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral elections, Chen Shui-bian has clearly sought to cultivate Taipei City Legislator Luo Wen-chia (羅文嘉) and Kaohsiung City Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) as candidates, bringing both of them into the Cabinet not only to bolster the government's experience but also to provide the two with political experience.
"Luo-Wen-chia's appointment as Chairman of the Hakka Affairs Commission -- and Chen Chi-mai's as Cabinet spokesman and minister without portfolio -- will give each of them a lot of leadership experience, raise their profiles and enable them to promote and train their staff and aides in the best possible way," said political columnist Hu Wen-huei (
"They only need to do a good job and they will be the best possible DPP candidates for the 2006 Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral elections," Hu said
The reshuffling of the Presidential Office's staff also deserves attention. Chen has appointed his most trusted senior aide, Chiou I-jen (
The president chose close aide Lin Chin-chang (
"As in the US White House, important presidential speeches and policy must be looked at by the NSC," said an important aide to the president.
"Lin should be able to steer the operations of the NSC in the direction of those of its US counterpart," the aide said.
taiwanese awareness
As far as "the political resources" of the Presidential Office are concerned, including posts as national policy advisers and senior adviser to the president, these posts were seen in the past as "serving as a reward for services rendered and as a way to win people over by any means, even in opposition to the party," but the personnel occupying the posts were not actually entrusted with providing advice to the president.
However, the list of names announced by the president on Thursday includes talented figures from the world of business -- replacing the former captains of industry who contrived to steer Chen towards the pan-blue camp -- as well as a good number of people steeped in knowledge of the Taiwan independence issue.
Of 30 senior-adviser posts, 15 receive pay (with salaries along the same lines as those of the presidents of the government's five branches) and 15 serve without pay.
Of 90 policy-adviser posts, 30 serve with pay (with salaries equivalent to those of ministers) and 60 serve without pay.
Evergreen Group (
Meanwhile, Wu Li-pei (
"Some senior leaders of groups that favor independence, and academic elites with strong Taiwanese awareness, such as Chin Heng-wei (
"At the same time, choosing them is intended to conciliate the pro-independence veterans, to keep them from feeling bitter about the goodwill shown toward China and the backing down from the US in the inauguration speech," Hu said.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based