King Pu-tsung (
"Mayor Ma and I have reached an implicit agreement that I'll resign from my current post, because I need more time for my family," King said.
King's wife is eight months pregnant with their second child.
King added that his departure does not necessarily mean that he will stop working for Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Ma faces re-election for a second term as mayor next year.
Ma yesterday refused to elaborate further on King's resignation, other to say that he has given his personal approval of the move.
"We've talked about his decision since the beginning of the year. I'm afraid that I have to let him go and respect his personal wishes," Ma said.
He added that "it will be more convenient for King to leave the political arena [now]," because "many things will happen in the near future."
Ma, however, refused to verify that King will help him garner votes from academia in the campaign for next year's mayoral election.
Ma also remained tight lipped about King's potential successor, saying that King has recommended several candidates, but he has not yet met any of them.
King is one of many government officials who has recently resigned or are expected to do so soon.
One of them is Yeh Chin-chuan (
Another is the director of the Bureau of Transportation, Tsao Shou-min (
Tsao is planning to return to teaching full time at National Taiwan University beginning in August.
Both Ma and King dismissed speculation that the municipal officials' recent resignations will have a negative impact on the performance of the Ma administration.
"It's important to have new members join the team," Ma said.
Ma and King both admitted that the Taipei city government needs to undergo a small-scale reorganization to face the challenge of the coming election next year.
King is famous for his hot temper and scholar-oriented style. As spokesman, he was one of the most important staff members on Ma's team.
However, King said in an interview with the Taipei Times, "I know many city councilors dislike me because my role is to defend the city government's policies."
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