Premier-designate Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) named his new Cabinet last night and will formally take over the post today after Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) leads his Cabinet in resigning this morning.
The new Cabinet line-up includes outgoing Veterans Affairs Commission Director Kao Hua-chu (高華柱), who will become minister of national defense, and representative to Indonesia Timothy Yang (楊進添), who will become foreign minister, Wu said.
Minister of the Interior Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) will become secretary-general of the Presidential Office, while Research, Development and Evaluation Commission Chairman Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) receives the interior ministry and Taipei City Deputy Mayor Wu Ching-ji (吳清基) replaces Cheng Jei-cheng (鄭瑞城) as minister of education.
Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥), chairman of CPC Corp, Taiwan, will take the economic affairs portfolio, while Central Election Commission (CEC) member Rai Hau-min (賴浩敏) will now head that organization.Minister without Portfolio Tsai Hsun-hsiung (蔡勳雄) will become head of the Council for Economic Planning and Development.
Sun Ta-chuan (孫大川), a Puyuma academic, will be chairman of the Council for Indigenous Peoples. Wu Tai-cheng (吳泰成), a member of the Examination Yuan, will head the Central Personnel Administration.
Wu announced on Tuesday that Vice Minister of the Interior Lin Join-sane (林中森) would become secretary-general of the Executive Yuan.
He also said that Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛), Council of Labor Affairs Minister Jennifer Wang (王如玄), Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良), Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) and Executive Yuan Spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) would keep their posts.
Yesterday, several more Cabinet members learned that hey would be retained: Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng (王清峰), Minister of Finance Lee Sush-der (李述德), National Youth Commission Minister Wang Yu-ting (王昱婷), Minister of Council for Cultural Affairs Chairwoman Huang Pi-twan (黃碧端), Council for Hakka Affairs Chairman Huang Yu-cheng (黃玉振), Minister of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission Kao Su-po (高思博), Minister of the Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission Wu Ying-yih (吳英毅) and central bank Governor Peng Fei-nan (彭淮南).
Meanwhile, Liu showed up at the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Central Standing Committee yesterday and thanked party Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and other members for their support.
The premier led Vice Premier Paul Chiu (邱正雄) and Executive Yuan Secretary-General Hsueh Hsiang-chuan (薛香川) in shaking hands with committee members.
Wu Poh-hsiung praised Liu’s hard work over the past year and said history should “reflect the foundation he had laid [for the nation] and give him the credit he deserves.”
Wu Poh-hsiung later presided over a ceremony to pass the job of KMT secretary-general from Wu Den-yih to Chan Chun-po (詹春柏), former Presidential Office secretary-general.
The KMT chairman brushed aside rumors that KMT legislators would be reluctant to cooperate with Wu Den-yih.
“Secretary-General Wu and I have cooperated very well within the party and it didn’t feel like he was a ‘lonely bird [maverick],’” Wu Poh-hsiung said. “I urge all party legislators to give our new premier their full support and seek close cooperation with the Cabinet so that he will not feel isolated.”
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