TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Jason Liu (劉建忻) will take over as secretary-general of the Examination Yuan, moving from his current position as deputy secretary-general of the Presidential Office, the government announced Wednesday (Aug. 26).

Examination Yuan President-elect Huang Jong-tsun (黃榮村) said he had known Liu since his post as education minister and praised him for his talent as a negotiator, CNA reported. The full Yuan team was nominated by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and ratified by the Legislative Yuan, with its swearing-in set for Sept. 1.

The Examination Yuan is one of the five branches of government under the existing Constitution, but it faces increasing pressure to be abolished. In the past, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was the only major political force pushing for scrapping the body, but the Kuomintang (KMT) seems to have changed its position recently.

If both major parties agree, talks about constitutional reform could soon start, with the abolition of the Examination Yuan high on the agenda. In this event, the body needed a secretary general experienced at communicating with the outside, Huang said.

During his past four years at the Presidential Office, Liu gained a wealth of experience in liaising with other government departments, such as the Cabinet and the Legislative Yuan, making him an eminently suitable person for the post at the Examination Yuan, according to Huang.