Lawmakers urge officials to resign from teaching jobs

Lawmakers urge officials to resign from teaching jobs

By Chen Hsiao-yi and Tseng Wei-chen (Taipei Time)
STAFF WRITERS
Saturday, Feb 07, 2009, Page 3

Lawmakers across party lines yesterday demanded that any members of the Control Yuan and Examination Yuan who are also working at academic institutions quit their part-time positions to free up vital employment opportunities and eliminate the possibility of a conflict of interest.

The call came after it was discovered that 12 of the 19 members of the Examination Yuan and nine of the Control Yuan's 29 members were still working part time as academics despite their obligations to the government.

Some lawmakers said that by holding down two jobs, these members were hogging job opportunities while many people were desperately looking for work.

Others asked why the Control Yuan was demanding additional staff while the existing members had enough time for part-time jobs.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) deputy caucus whip John Wu (吳志揚) said Examination and Control Yuan members usually had a heavy workload, so to ensure that they were performing to the best of their ability and avoid potential conflicts of interest, they should quit their academic positions for the duration of their time in public office.

Examination Yuan member Li Fu-tien (李復甸) criticized the demand, saying he had been nominated because of his academic qualifications and thus it was illogical for him to quit his teaching career.

• Should be National Ombudsman of Control Yuan than Examination Yuan member