Academics yesterday expressed concerns over possible “black-box” operations ahead of the next elections for the general managers of farming and fishermen’s associations which are scheduled for March next year.
Beginning today through Friday, those hoping to be elected to head the nation’s 300 farming associations will be able to register their candidacies, while the registration period for those aiming for the same position in the country’s 38 fishermen’s associations can register between Nov. 26 and Nov. 30.
The general manager elections for farming and fishermen’s associations are scheduled to take place on March 2 and March 16 next year respectively
The quadrennial elections are seen by most political parties — and those who are politically oriented — as a vital prelude to the 2014 seven-in-one elections, which are to be held for all directly-elected local government positions, and even to the 2016 presidential election.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has tended to regard these associations as ideal places to cultivate local vote brokers, as well as to generate momentum ahead of major elections.
According to relevant regulations, a farming or fishermen’s association shall have one general manager, whose appointment must be made by the approval of at least half of the total board of directors. A roster of members’ representatives — elected by members — is charged with electing the board directors.
To meet the candidacy requirements for the general manager of such an association, one must pass a series of procedures set down by the Council of Agriculture that include an evaluation on the candidate’s credentials and an interview.
According to sources familiar with local maneuvering, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the selection procedures for farming association’s general managers often see fierce competition between different local factions as the positions offer access the control of vast resources and offer connections to key industry figures.
“Oftentimes, people from various factions, in an attempt to secure candidacies for appointments, are seen lobbying their way from local departments to central government, or from the legislature to the council,” the source said, adding that though the selection processes may appear to have been systematized, there is still room for maneuvering since the required interviews takes up as much as 30 percent of a candidate’s total evaluation score.
The source said that on the surface the board directors might seem to be in charge of the general manager elections, but in fact the former only serves as a de facto piece in a political board game being played by the latter.
In an effort to increase their chances of success, the source said general manager candidates would first seek to win the support of at least half of the members’ representatives, which obliquely ensures that a majority of elected board directors would be in their favor in the vote using the block voting system for their appointments.
The Democratic Progressive Party changed the voting system in a bid to dismantle a system which lead to longstanding monopolies to a system that halved the number of votes given to an elector, the source said. That decision was reversed after the KMT regained power in 2008.
“Now that the general manager position has become somewhat a lifelong job, some serving heads are able to appoint their own successors,” the source said, calling for the indirect elections to be transformed into direct elections by farmers.
Former National Taiwan University College of Agriculture dean Yang Ping-shih (楊平世) said that farming associations should have refrained from political maneuvering, but instead they tended to prize candidate’s connections with local factions above their competences during the selection processes.
Department of Farmers’ Services director Tsao Shao-hui (曹紹徽) said the selection process is adequate, adding that incumbent general managers who have performanced well during their terms would automatically qualify as candidates without interview without interview, adding that direct elections were not suitable for a professional administrative position.
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
POOR IMPLEMENTATION: Teachers welcomed the suspension, saying that the scheme disrupted school schedules, quality of learning and the milk market A policy to offer free milk to all school-age children nationwide is to be suspended next year due to multiple problems arising from implementation of the policy, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday. The policy was designed to increase the calcium intake of school-age children in Taiwan by drinking milk, as more than 80 percent drink less than 240ml per day. The recommended amount is 480ml. It was also implemented to help Taiwanese dairy farmers counter competition from fresh milk produced in New Zealand, which is to be imported to Taiwan tariff-free next year when the Agreement Between New Zealand and
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
RSS