President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday defended the Cabinet’s efforts and called on the public to give the government more time to show its worth. His remarks suggested that he does not have immediate plans to reshuffle the Cabinet.
Addressing the closing ceremony of a government affairs research class hosted by the Central Personnel Administration yesterday morning, Ma spoke in defense of Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄), who also attended the ceremony, and gave his support to the Cabinet.
“The Cabinet is a great team. Some of them handled the Asian financial crisis 10 years ago ... The team has the confidence to lead the people out of the financial crisis this time,” Ma said, urging the public to give the Cabinet more time to prove its capabilities.
Ma said the government would insist on carrying out policies that improve living standards despite all the pressure.
He urged civil servants to have integrity and vowed to lead a clean, uncorrupted government.
“Some people said a clean government is not going to help the economy. It’s correct. However, integrity is a necessary condition for a government ... Can we tolerate a corrupt government?” Ma said. “As long as we insist on leading a clean government, the public will not despair.”
Ma also welcomed the US’ response to Taiwan’s latest UN bid and its long-standing support for Taiwan’s “meaningful participation” in UN agencies, defending his “flexible diplomacy” and diplomatic truce with China.
In a statement posted on the Web site of the US Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, the US reiterated its long-standing support for Taiwan’s “meaningful participation” in UN agencies, saying “Taiwan’s inclusion would enable the international community to better address pressing global issues.”
Meanwhile, a survey conducted by TVBS television showed that Ma’s popularity has dropped to a new low amid the stock market slump and the rising toll from Typhoon Sinlaku, which killed at least 14 people and left seven missing last week as bridges, hotels and houses collapsed in the storm.
Ma’s approval rating slipped to 28 percent — the lowest since he took office on May 20 — in a survey of 1,048 people conducted by the news channel.
The poll was conducted on Friday and results were broadcast yesterday. It showed a fall of 13 percentage points since a poll taken last month and a 2 percent decline from the previous low in July.
Sixty-five percent of respondents to the survey were critical of the Ma government’s crisis management skills, while 21 percent approved and the remainder had no comment, TVBS said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP
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