A Cabinet reshuffle aimed at improving cooperation between ministers and the premier ahead of the nine-in-one local elections is to include Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦).
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) hopes to form a Cabinet that would work well with Premier William Lai (賴清德), an anonymous source said, adding that the new ministers would be announced next week.
The party hopes that the reshuffle, which is the largest since Lai took office 10 months ago, would allow the premier to make smooth progress on key issues such as improving the economy.
A reshuffle in February saw Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) take over from National Security Council Secretary-General David Lee (李大維), who in turn replaced Minister of National Defense Yen Teh-fa (嚴德發).
Then-minister of labor Lin Mei-chu (林美珠) left her position due to health issues and was replaced by former Kaohsiung deputy mayor Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春).
Lai at the time had no intentions of a Cabinet reshuffle, the source said.
Lai, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and other officials held meetings last month, when the president expressed support for another reshuffle, the source said, adding that the DPP views the outcome of the upcoming elections as an evaluation of the government’s performance.
Lai is under a great deal of pressure due to the elections and hopes that the reshuffle would be completed as soon as possible, the source said.
Cabinet spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) is expected take over the post of minister of the interior given his ability to communicate with other parties, the source said, adding that Hsu will likely seek to improve communication between the Cabinet and the legislature.
Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau Director-General Tsai Ching-hsiang (蔡清祥) is likely to take over as minister of justice given his rapport with Lai, while Deputy Minister of Finance Su Jain-rong (蘇建榮) is likely to take over as minister of finance, the source said.
Minister of Justice Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) is likely to be reassigned deputy secretary-general of the Presidential Office, the source said.
DPP Legislator Kolas Yotaka is to take over as Executive Yuan spokesperson, the source added.
Minister of the Interior Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮) yesterday thanked his coworkers for their help during the past two years, and discussed the ministry’s successes and areas requiring improvement.
Yeh praised the Central Emergency Operation Center for its efforts in reducing casualties and injuries during typhoons, but said that the government must clarify its policies for work and school cancelations during storms.
Additional reporting by CNA
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
‘NOT SUBORDINATE’: Only Taiwanese can decide the nation’s future, and people preserving their democratic way of life is not a provocation, President William Lai said Taiwan does not want China’s “one country, two systems,” and must uphold its freedom and democracy as well as resolve to defend itself, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, rejecting Beijing’s latest bid to bring the country under Chinese control. The president made the remarks while attending a commissioning ceremony for Taiwan’s first battalion of M1A2T Abrams tanks in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口). The tanks are made by General Dynamics, a major US defense contractor. China this week said it “absolutely will not” rule out using force over Taiwan, striking a much tougher tone than a series of articles in state media
RSS