On the eve of today's presidential inauguration, Tainan County Commissioner Chen Tang-shan (
In what appeared to be a quick recovery from a potentially embarrassing situation for the incoming administration, however, it was announced yesterday that National Cheng Kung University President Weng Cheng-i (
Weng has a PhD in mechanical engineering from Rochester University in the US, and has taught at National Cheng Kung University since 1980. He also currently works as an NSC researcher.
It was believed the sudden adjustment of Cabinet personnel was caused by Chen's resistance to assume his new office unless his choice of stand-in in the Tainan County commissioner's post was not accepted by President-elect Chen Shui-bian (
Instead, Chen Tang-shan is to remain in his current post.
In the process of forming the Cabinet, President-elect Chen invited three current county chiefs to join his new government, while leaving the problem of succession to those stepping up.
Current regulations state that the final decision is in the hands of the interior ministry.
Chen Tang-shan had insisted that the current deputy commissioner, Lin Wen-ting (
Coordination over the issue, however, was less than ideal. A May 17 meeting of DPP factions reached a consensus that Lin would step in. Su, however, apparently become the favored candidate after meeting with Chen on Thursday.
The change in plans appears to have backfired with Chen Tang-shan and Lin, as the latter two days ago publicly criticized President-elect Chen as having "lied."
Despite accepting the NSC chairmanship, and having gone through a "training camp" for the new Cabinet last weekend, Chen Tang-shan told reporters yesterday that he would "consider" whether or not to stay in his current position.
Chen's hesitation, according to Su, was one of the main reasons President-elect Chen had to find a substitute to head the NSC -- instead of worrying about choosing an acting chief for Tainan County.
Su told the Taipei Times that officials from the president-elect's office called him yesterday afternoon, and said that the incoming NSC chairman would be Weng -- a fact later confirmed by Weng himself.
Weng, however, said he was embarrassed about taking over the job under such disputed conditions.
The storm over personnel affairs is also seen as potentially damaging to Chen.
"It has harmed both the DPP and Chen," said DPP legislator Shen Fu-Hsiung (
But President-elect Chen's quick decision on the issue, according to Su, illustrated his boldness in facing disharmony within the government, and was a sign of his ability to build leadership.
Another dispute, meanwhile, has been brewing over the choice of who will head the Taoyuan County Government in place of incoming Vice president Annette Lu (
Among possible candidates, Lu has insisted that her deputy, Hsu Ying-shen (
Unlike the case in Tainan, however, the problem was successfully resolved with Hsu being named to the acting commissioner's post.
Lu, along with Chiayi City Mayor Chang Po-ya (
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
WARNING: People in coastal areas need to beware of heavy swells and strong winds, and those in mountainous areas should brace for heavy rain, the CWA said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued sea and land warnings for Typhoon Ragasa, forecasting that it would continue to intensify and affect the nation the most today and tomorrow. People in Hualien and Taitung counties, and mountainous areas in Yilan and Pingtung counties, should brace for damage caused by extremely heavy rain brought by the typhoon’s outer rim, as it was upgraded to a super typhoon yesterday morning, the CWA said. As of 5:30pm yesterday, the storm’s center was about 630km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving northwest at 21kph, and its maximum wind speed had reached
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said that it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa this morning and a land warning at night as it approached Taiwan. Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8am yesterday, the CWA said, adding that at 2pm, it was about 1,110km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip. The typhoon was moving northwest at 13kph, with sustained winds of up to 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA Web site showed. Forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said that Ragasa was projected to strengthen as it neared the Bashi Channel, with its 200km
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hualien and Taitung counties declared today a typhoon day, while schools and offices in parts of Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties are also to close Typhoon Ragasa was forecast to hit its peak strength and come closest to Taiwan from yesterday afternoon through today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Taiwan proper could be out of the typhoon’s radius by midday and the sea warning might be lifted tonight, it added. CWA senior weather specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said that Ragasa’s radius had reached the Hengchun Peninsula by 11am yesterday and was expected to hit Taitung County and Kaohsiung by yesterday evening. Ragasa was forecast to move to Taiwan’s southern offshore areas last night and to its southwestern offshore areas early today, she added. As of 8pm last night,