Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/23
By: Chen Chun-hua, Sophia Yeh, Claudia Liu and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Dec. 23 (CNA) The rights and benefits of village and ward chiefs, the lowest-ranking elected representatives of the people in Taiwan, drew the attention of the three presidential candidates Wednesday, with each promising to make improvements if elected.

In a meeting with village and ward chiefs from around Taiwan, James Soong (宋楚瑜) of the People First Party (PFP) said that if elected, he will seek to endow them with “the legal rights they deserve.”

The position definition of village and ward chiefs is vague, causing controversy over whether they are part of the public service system or representatives of the people.

Because of this uncertainty, village and ward chiefs are often driven to walk close to the edge of the law, complained Chen Chien-liang (陳建良), head of the Federation of Village and Ward Chiefs’ Unions, at the meeting with Soong and the presidential candidates of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).     [FULL  STORY]