First Lady Wu Shu-chen (
Tainan Deputy County Commissioner Lin Wen-ting (
Tainan County Commissioner Chen Tang-shan (
But the deputy commissioner said Wu tried to influence the process because she favored another person for the county post.
Both President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) camp and Wu claimed such charges were groundless.
The festive ambiance of the inaugural events was nearly spoiled by the unexpected change in the Cabinet lineup Friday.
Chen Tang-shan's refusal caught the new government by surprise, forcing a hasty search for a replacement. As it turned out, National Cheng Kung University President Weng Cheng-i (翁政義) assumed the position without much time to ponder his decision.
The scenario was reportedly attributed to the disparate opinions on the replacement for the Tainan county commissioner, with Wu allegedly insisting that DPP lawmaker Su Huan-chih (
"Why is it that [the pick of an acting county magistrate] has anything to do with me? ... How could I intervene in such a matter?" Wu said. "How could I have any say about it, when Lin I-hsiung (
In the process of forming the Cabinet, President Chen invited three current county chiefs to join the new government, while leaving the problem of succession to those stepping up.
Current regulations state that the final decision is in the hands of the interior ministry.
While Chen Tang-shan had insisted on Lin, the DPP was also considering others, such as Su.
Poor coordination over the issue led to confusion, yet after a May 17 meeting of DPP factions, a consensus was reached that Chen would step in.
However, a day later, after a meeting with President Chen, Su emerged as the favored candidate.
Wu acknowledged she had became acquainted with Su when he worked at Chen's law firm from 1983 to 1984, but she insisted this association did not mean she had exerted any influence on the selection of the acting commissioner.
"Why am I embroiled in such hot water? It is not worthwhile for me to comment on such nonsense," she said.
Vice Minister of the Interior-designate Lee Yi-yang (
"Wu has never meddled in Chen's administration, no matter what Chen's position is," Lee said.
"The first lady is renowned for standing aloof from politics, not to mention not sticking her foot into personnel arrangements." Lee said the rumors were spread with malicious intent.
In response to the controversy, Su said on Friday that he simply abided by the president's choice. "Both President Chen and Chairman Lin approached me during the process when they were determining the candidate, but Wu has never been in touch with me," Su said.
"Lin's charge is absurd, and such an allegation has tarnished the name of the DPP and the first lady," he added.
CREDIT-GRABBER: China said its coast guard rescued the crew of a fishing vessel that caught fire, who were actually rescued by a nearby Taiwanese boat and the CGA Maritime search and rescue operations do not have borders, and China should not use a shipwreck to infringe upon Taiwanese sovereignty, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday. The coast guard made the statement in response to the China Coast Guard (CCG) saying it saved a Taiwanese fishing boat. The Chuan Yu No. 6 (全漁6號), a fishing vessel registered in Keelung, on Thursday caught fire and sank in waters northeast of Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台). The vessel left Keelung’s Badouzih Fishing Harbor (八斗子漁港) at 3:35pm on Sunday last week, with seven people on board — a 62-year-old Taiwanese captain surnamed Chang (張) and six
RISKY BUSINESS: The ‘incentives’ include initiatives that get suspended for no reason, creating uncertainty and resulting in considerable losses for Taiwanese, the MAC said China’s “incentives” failed to sway sentiment in Taiwan, as willingness to work in China hit a record low of 1.6 percent, a Ministry of Labor survey showed. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) also reported that the number of Taiwanese workers in China has nearly halved from a peak of 430,000 in 2012 to an estimated 231,000 in 2024. That marked a new low in the proportion of Taiwanese going abroad to work. The ministry’s annual survey on “Labor Life and Employment Status” includes questions respondents’ willingness to seek employment overseas. Willingness to work in China has steadily declined from
The number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed that of pet dogs for the first time last year, reaching 1,742,033, a 32.8 percent increase from 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, citing a survey. By contrast, the number of pet dogs declined slightly by 1.2 percent over the same period to 1,462,528, the ministry said. Despite the shift, households with dogs still slightly outnumber those with cats by 1.2 percent. However, while the number of households with multiple dogs has remained relatively stable, households keeping more than two cats have increased, contributing to the overall rise in the feline population. The trend
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
RSS