The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday announced additional future Cabinet members after introducing the first eight names on Thursday, with Tainan City Government secretary-general Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶) named as future Executive Yuan secretary-general and former Taoyuan deputy mayor Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) named as future minister of justice.
Chiu said the request came from president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
National Taiwan University professor Chen Tain-jy (陳添枝) has been asked to head the National Development Council, with Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫), Tsai’s industrial policy convener, asked to serve as Chen Tain-jy’s deputy, premier-designate Lin Chuan (林全) announced yesterday afternoon.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsung, Taipei Times
Deputy Minister of Labor Kuo Fan-yu (郭芳煜) has been tapped for the ministry’s position and National Chung Hsing University professor Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) has been tapped as deputy minister of the Council of Agriculture, while former Pingtung County commissioner Tsao Chi-hung (曹啟鴻) has been asked to serve as minister of agriculture, Lin said.
Lin later said in a radio interview that Tsao accepted the appointment.
DPP Legislator-at-large Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) has been appointed as the Environmental Protection Agency director, while lawyer and environmental activist Thomas Chan (詹順貴) is to serve as his deputy, Lin added.
Lin also tapped DPP Legislator-at-large Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) for minister of culture, with Cheng saying that she was considering the offer.
Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Wu Hong-mo (吳宏謀) has been asked to head the Executive Yuan’s public construction commission, Lin said.
Meanwhile, sources said that Chen Mei-ling’s appointment as Executive Yuan secretary-general did not come as a surprise due to her capabilities and experience in the administrative branch.
Chen Mei-ling served as the Executive Yuan deputy secretary-general during former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) administration and shared a cordial relationship with Tsai, the sources said, adding that with such a background, it was no surprise that Chen Mei-ling would be tapped to be a part of the central government.
Chen Mei-ling’s influence in Tainan can be seen from her nickname, “Shadow Mayor,” the sources said.
They also said that Chen Mei-ling’s assistance was notable for the success of Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德), who had no prior experience in politics, adding that with Chen Mei-ling’s transfer to the central government, her vacancy in the city government would be hard to fill.
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
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A Vietnamese migrant worker yesterday won NT$12 million (US$379,627) on a Lunar New Year scratch card in Kaohsiung as part of Taiwan Lottery Co’s (台灣彩券) “NT$12 Million Grand Fortune” (1200萬大吉利) game. The man was the first top-prize winner of the new game launched on Jan. 6 to mark the Lunar New Year. Three Vietnamese migrant workers visited a Taiwan Lottery shop on Xinyue Street in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District (崗山), a store representative said. The player bought multiple tickets and, after winning nothing, held the final lottery ticket in one hand and rubbed the store’s statue of the Maitreya Buddha’s belly with the other,
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