Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian on Tuesday extended a welcome to members of the Second Presidential Office Fellows corps who will be working as volunteers in public affairs over the following year.
President Chen offered his congratulations to the 22 young men and women for surviving the fierce competition to be selected for the corps from among hundreds of rivals from around the country.
Chen said that he was extremely impressed with the performance of members of the first corps in carrying out their duties, including organizing Presidential Office receptions and ceremonies and compiling and editing the president's e-mail letters.
The president exhorted the 22 newly-recruited volunteers, aged between 23 and 33, to work as hard as their predecessors over the following year so as to help bring vitality and creativity to public affairs in the Presidential Office.
Chen told the new fellows that he will "work even harder" to win re-election so that the Presidential Office Fellows corps "can be continued."
Meanwhile, Chen said many of the young men and women who have worked on his team over the past years are "unsung heroes, " carrying out their duties in a practical and prudent manner. "I've relied on talented young people in achieving my goals over the years so much that I can say that if it weren't for them, there wouldn't be a President Chen Shui-bian today," he said.