With the imminent hospitalization of Premier-designate Tang Fei, the schedule for the nomination of President-elect Chen Shui-bian's new Cabinet has been moved up.
Yesterday, a flurry of confirmations, refusals and continued speculation kept the media guessing, while providing new surprises in the emerging line-up.
Among those confirmed as having agreed to take up future posts in the first-ever DPP-led central government, veteran DPP lawmaker and former Ilan County Commissioner Chen Ting-nan (
Chang Fu-mei (
The future Cabinet will also see fresh faces in new ministries, such as Tchen Yu-chiou (陳郁秀), a senior National Taiwan Normal University academic, who agreed yesterday to her nomination as head of the future Council for Cultural Affairs.
Former DPP Chairman Yao Chia-wen (
Another favored candidate -- for the post of Atomic Energy Council chairman -- was reported last night as being Kuo Ching-chiang (
One apparently tough choice has been over the post of minister of the interior, considered to be one of the key posts under the premier. Sources said yesterday that Chen and Tang have each offered different choices and that debate continues over who should be appointed.
Tang has pushed for the nomination of James Soong (
Reports surfaced last night that Tang has agreed to give Chang the job.
One apparent disappointment for the new team, however, has been over the minister of finance, after Lin Jong-shong(
Another refusal came yesterday from the secretary-general of the National Security Council, Yin Tsung-wen (
Yin issued a statement on Tuesday that he has no intention of staying on at his position, citing health reasons.
In response, President-elect Chen Shui-bian (
Chen made the response yesterday after he and Vice President-elect Annette Lu (
Later, however, reports emerged stating that Chuang Min-yao (
Chuang is a career naval officer and served as national policy adviser to President Lee Teng-hui (
His position is expected to be filled by current Council for Economic Planning and Development Chairman Chiang Ping-kung (江丙坤), who previously served as the commercial attach? in Japan from 1967-74.
However, Chiang denied the reports yesterday, saying he has no plans to leave Taiwan because of his involvement in 921 earthquake reconstruction.
Speaking at yesterday's NSC briefing, Chen also said he planned to overhaul the country's national security system -- from a shake-up of chief positions to a change in the composition of the council's advisory members.
Chen said the succession of political power is not simply a formality. It was, he said, a direct transfer of policies which had been set in motion by the former government, especially in affairs related to national defense, intelligence, and diplomacy.
Meanwhile, yesterday KMT spokesman Jason Hu (
Hu said he has not been approached by the new government and would nevertheless decline the position.
Responding to the fact that more KMT members are likely to join the new Cabinet following Tang Fei, KMT secretary general Lin Fong-cheng (
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