Attempting to pressure the blue-camp alliance ahead of this week's legislative sitting, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said the Cabinet would not resign until the Legislative Yuan approves a five-year, NT$500-billion construction package.
Cross-party negotiations on the bill are scheduled to continue on Tuesday. But if negotiations break down again, a showdown vote in the legislature is likely to take place this week.
Yu's tactic, announced by Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (
This is because the Constitution dictates that the Cabinet must resign en masse by the day of the presidential inauguration before being reconstituted. President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) will be sworn in for his second four-year term on May 20.
The Cabinet resignation had originally been planned for April 28.
It was then pushed back to last Wednesday and again to this Wednesday because of the continuing legislative impasse.
Vacancies
Six vacancies in the new Cabinet have not been filled.
They are the defense minister, the head of the Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen, the head of the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, the chairperson of the National Youth Commission and two other ministers without portfolio.
While Chen will hand-pick the new defense minister and the head of the retired servicemen commission, Yu is still looking for a new head for the National Youth Commission, the government's chief accountant and two more ministers without portfolio.
Lin will take the helm of the Government Information Office once the Cabinet is reshuffled.
Front-runner
One of the front-runners to succeed Budget, Accounting and Statistics Director General Hale Liu (劉三錡) is Liu's deputy, Hsu Jan-yau (許璋瑤). Hsu, 53, was appointed to the post in 2002.
He obtained a master's degree in accounting from National Chengchi University in 1976 and joined the Budget, Accounting and Statistics directorate general in 1978 as a section chief at the Bureau of Statistics.
As for who would be given the nod to head the National Youth Commission, Lin said that Yu had candidates in mind but had not reached a decision.
"The premier will start making inquiries of interested candidates today [yesterday] and Sunday and hope to have the good news either on Sunday or Monday," Lin said.
Chen has pledged that the new head of the National Youth Commission will be "the youngest person in the Cabinet," and he has said that the successful candidate shoud be a woman under 35.
Progress has apparently been slow in the search for the remaining two ministers without portfolio.
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