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Hsieh says Chen approves of CEO plan

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) supported his suggestion to appoint someone with a background as a top business executive to fill the position of premier.

"It's the president's power as granted in the Constitution to appoint the premier. I made the suggestion [of selecting a CEO] to the president and he thought it was a pretty good idea," Hsieh said.

Hsieh said appointing someone with experience as a CEO would promote a politics of "competitiveness" because a former business executive would run the government with high standards of efficiency, while keeping spending reasonable.

NEGOTIATIONS

The candidate for premier should be acceptable to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which together with smaller pan-blue allies holds a three-quarters majority in the new legislature, Hsieh said.

"As the KMT dominates the legislature, it would be painful and humiliating if the premier were named without negotiations with the KMT in advance. The public would also be disappointed," he said.

Before Hsieh made the suggestion to Chen during their meeting on Friday, however, the president told reporters in Saint Lucia that he would reappoint Chang Chun-hsiung's (張俊雄) as premier.

Following the resignation of the Cabinet, Chang is scheduled to lead his Cabinet to resign on Jan. 28 ahead of the swearing in of the new legislature on Feb. 1.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said separately yesterday that the president did not need the legislature's approval in appointing a premier, adding that the KMT would respect Chen's decision.

When approached for comment, Chang called on the public to trust in the president to choose an appropriate person for the position of premier and to fill the Cabinet positions.

Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝), the ministry's Secretary-General Chuang Kuo-jung (莊國榮) and Minister of Government Information Office Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉), who doubles as Cabinet spokesman, all tendered their resignations on Friday.

The three were blamed by some DPP members for the party's dismal performance in the legislative elections on Jan. 12.

When asked about their resignations, Hsieh said he respected their choices and had no comment on their performances.

BUILDING A CABINET

Hsieh said the next person chosen for the job of premier should select the new Cabinet members.

"Given the pan-blue three-quarters majority, taking up the post of premier will mean shouldering the responsibility and could be tormenting. Moreover, the premier could be humiliated in the legislature ... It would be shameless for anyone of his campaign team to secure official positions," Hsieh said.

At a separate setting yesterday, Tu confirmed that he had submitted his resignation to Chang because of the results of the legislative elections.

Tu told reporters that Chang had asked him to stay on until the Cabinet resigns at the end of the month and he said he agreed to the arrangement.

Chuang told the Taipei Times that he would also remain at his position until the premier resigns at the end of the month.

"I will leave when the minister leaves and not a second later," he said.

Additional reporting by Jenny W. Hsu and Mo Yan-chih
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