Business groups yesterday pleaded for the next Cabinet to keep Minister of Economic Affairs Woody Duh (杜紫軍) in the government to continue economic policies, one day after Cabinet ministers quit en masse alongside Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺).
Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (工商協進會) chairman Lin Por-fong (林伯豐) said that Duh is well acquainted with the nation’s industrial development, and that his departure would be a loss for the country.
CRUSHING DEFEAT
Duh and the other ministers stepped down following the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) crushing defeat in the nine-in-one elections on Saturday last week, said he would not return to the post even if nominated by the next premier.
Duh took the helm of the ministry only four months ago, when then-minister of economic affairs Chang Chia-juch (張家祝) resigned over the gas pipeline explosions in Greater Kaohsiung on July 31 and Aug. 1 that killed more than 30 people.
FEAR
Lin said that if Duh did not return to the ministry, there would be fears that the new Cabinet would have trouble moving its economic policies forward smoothly.
Chinese National Federation of Industries (全國工業總會) secretary-general Tsai Lien-sheng (蔡練生) said that the new Cabinet should hold on to capable ministers like Duh.
Tsai said that President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration had relied too frequently on Cabinet shake-ups, affecting the performance of the government.
ELECTORAL FAILURE
Tsai said that Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Willliam Tseng (曾銘宗) should also stay, as neither Duh nor Tseng should not be forced to take responsibility for the KMT’s failure in the local elections.
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