The impending Cabinet reshuffle, whatever its scale will be, may not ease the tension between the executive and legislative branches or improve government efficiency, analysts predicted yesterday.
They also questioned the legitimacy of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission in recommending the dismissal of environment and transportation officials for the delayed handling of the oil slick off the southern coast.
"The opposition parties will continue strangulating the Cabinet as long as they dominate the legislature," observed Wei Yung (
During a question-and-answer session at the legislature yesterday morning, Premier Chang Chun-hsiug (
Wei, also president of Vanguard Institute, a private think-tank, attributed the administrative dilemma in part to the 1997 constitutional amendment that deprived the legislature of its right to confirm the nominee for premier.
He noted that the removal of the privilege also did away with the honeymoon period when opposition lawmakers typically shy away from harsh criticism of the top executive they helped install.
Chou Yu-jen (
With barely one-third of the legislatures' seats, the DPP-led government has suffered repeated policy setbacks since it took office last May. While eager to retire ineffective officials, the premier is not expected to tap opposition talent, owing to what pundits call "the adverse political reality."
KMT lawmaker Chu Li-luan (朱立倫) said he doubted that any able politicians would dare to join the government in light of the fate of former premier Tang Fei
"However competent, no official can accomplish anything without adequate autonomy," Chu pointed out, likening a post in the DPP government to a hot potato.
Although Chang stands on the front line most of the time, it is President Chen Shui-bian (
Chu also faulted Lin Chia-cheng (
His DPP colleague Shen Fu-hsiung (
Speaking through an aide, Chen indicated he would respect the premier's discretion in manning the Cabinet. Shen noted that the president has tried of late to uphold the Constitution that says domestic affairs fall within the Cabinet's sphere.
Wei Yung, a political science professor who served the Cabinet-level commission from 1976-1988, said that the agency has no right to probe any negligence involving government officials. "The commission is supposed to restrict its evaluation to public policies," Wei said. "It is the Central Personnel Administration that is in charge of judging civil servants."
But Lin's commission maintained that it was just carrying out its duty at the request of the premier.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned