Chiayi Mayor Chang Po-ya yesterday finally made official her acceptance of President-elect Chen Shui-Bian's (陳水扁) invitation to take up the post of Minister of the Interior, while serving concurrently as provincial chairperson.
Shedding tears during her announcement at the Chiayi City Hall yesterday, the incumbent mayor of the southern city said she was reluctant to leave the people in her hometown.
Chang said she had made the decision with a heavy heart, rather than with joy. She also said that the central government should not be superior to and aloof from local administration and people.
PHOTO: TSAI TSONG-HSUEN, LIBERTY TIMES
"This is an important factor for me in taking the post," she said.
"I hope that the opinions and needs of local communities can be brought to the central government, and that central authorities can pay serious attention to local development and construction. These situations are the same no matter where you are in Taiwan," Chang said.
Chang has served at Cabinet level before being the director-general of the Department of Health from 1990 to 1997, during which time she oversaw the difficult introduction of the National Health Insurance scheme.
Chang has served as mayor of Chiayi during three separate terms. First elected in 1983, Chang succeeding her mother, Hsu Shih-hsian (許世賢), after she died. She was re-elected once again in 1985, and then in 1997.
During those terms, her sister, current Taichung Mayor Chang Wen-ying (張文英), also served two terms.
In fact, the Chang family's political influence and popularity in Chiayi City have long been unrivalled.
Since Chang has served just over half of her four-year term as mayor,an acting mayor will be appointed by the central government to serve the rest of Chang's term which ends in 2001.
"It won't be my sister, though," Chang Po-ya said, smiling.
The search for a new Minister of the Interior after Chen's election has not been easy. Last week, Chen proposed that Chang take the post, and after what appeared to be great reluctance on her part, Chen paid a visit to Chiayi on Sunday to persuade her to change her mind.
In related news, Chen reportedly met last night with national security advisor Chien You-hsin (簡又新), who confirmed that Chen had asked him to serve as vice secretary-general of the Presidential Office.
Chien said he had yet to consider the offer, however, and that he had not made a decision on the matter.
Also, the appointment of Minister of Education remains undecided. Ovid Tzeng (曾志朗), president of National Yang Ming University, who has been named as a candidate, was not willing to make a firm commitment yesterday.
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,
‘ADDITIONAL CONDITION’: Taiwan will work with like-minded countries to protect its right to participate in next year’s meeting, the foreign ministry said The US will “continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when attending APEC meetings in China,” a US Department of State spokesperson said yesterday, after Beijing suggested that members must adhere to its “one China principle” to participate. “The United States insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies — including Taiwan — consistent with APEC’s guidelines, rules and established practice, as affirmed by China in its offer to host in 2026,” the unnamed spokesperson said in response to media queries about China putting a “one China” principle condition on Taiwan’s
RSS