Taipei, Dec. 27 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian urged the country's civil servants Monday to be detached from politics, saying that their political neutrality is an inherent part of democracy.
Receiving a group of civil servants who made distinguished contributions in the last year, the president said his administration insists on ridding the government of the apparatus of any political parties.
Furthermore, Chen said, government employees are not allowed to abuse their office to campaign for any policial parties.
The president also called on the country's civil servants to embrace his administration's plan to reorganize the Executive Yuan, saying that their support is vital to the success of the plan.
According to the Basic Organic Law for the Central Government, passed by the Legislative Yuan in June, the Executive Yuan's eight ministries and 27 councils, commissions and administrations will be converted into 13 ministries, four commissions and five independent agencies.