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Arthur Iap to step down as chief of information

Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday appointed Minister without Portfolio Huang Hui-chen (黃輝珍) as the director-general of the Government Information Office (GIO), effective Tuesday.

Outgoing GIO Director-General Arthur Iap (葉國興) has been chosen to fill the vacancy left by Huang as a minister without portfolio.

At the press conference held at the Executive Yuan late yesterday afternoon, Yu said that his replacing Iap with Huang was well thought out.

"As a former professional journalist, Huang knows well how the media operate. Besides, his current job as minister without portfolio is in charge of reviewing media-related bills and projects," Yu said.

Huang, 49, was a journalist at the Chinese-language newspaper the China Times between 1980 and 1993. He was the publisher and chairman of the KMT-owned Central Daily News between 1996 and 1999.

According to Yu, Iap tendered his resignation on Tuesday, claiming that he had been suffering from insomnia because of pressure from work.

After two day's deliberation, Yu said that Huang was the first candidate that came to mind.

"When I inquired about his feelings about taking the position this morning, he told me that he was very interested," Yu said.

When asked whether he would double up as the Cabinet's spokesman, Huang, who was the KMT's spokesperson between 1999 and 2000, said that he will not do so because he will respect the established system.

"The position of Cabinet spokesman was separated from that of GIO director-general when the premier took office in February last year. The system will remain unchanged no matter who's the head of the GIO," Huang said.

Iap also dismissed the talk that he resigned because of recent controversies.

"I definitely didn't quit because of all the controversies I created because I still think I didn't make any wrong decisions," he said. "I've been enjoying my job since day one but I'm afraid my physical condition doesn't allow me to do continue."

Iap had came under fire because of a string of controversies, including the GIO's contracting a media survey to a private media watchdog group, integrating government agencies' resources to buy air time and advertisement space to promote government initiatives, and making a shooting-gun gesture at photographers with his hand.
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