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Ministers still intent on resigning: Lin

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has failed to talk Vice Premier and Chairman of the Cabinet's Council for Economic Planning and Development Lin Hsin-i (林信義) out of quitting and Lin is still determined to leave the post, the Cabinet revealed yesterday.

"The vice premier has not yet changed his mind about leaving the civil sector after the presidential inauguration, despite discussing the matter with the president [on Monday], who had hoped to persuade him to stay on," Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) told reporters yesterday morning.

Lin Chia-lung also dismissed speculation that Lin Hsin-i, an entrepreneur-turned-politician, is considering relocating to China and developing a business career there.

"It's not only totally untrue, but also a serious mistake," Lin said. "The vice premier doesn't have the slightest intention of breaking the law to pursue a career in China."

According to the Civil Servant Service Law (公務人員服務法), civil servants are banned from assuming high-ranking positions, including chairman, auditor, manager, stockholder or advisor, in the private sector three years after leaving a post they have held for the previous five years.

Lin Hsin-i, the first entrepreneur to become a Cabinet official in the nation's history, tendered his resignation last Tuesday. He also expressed his wish to return to the private sector after the presidential inauguration.

A favorite to succeed Lin Hsin-i is Council for Hakka Affairs Chairwoman Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭). If Yeh was to take over the vice premier's position, Lin Hsin-i's job at the Council for Economic Planning and Development might be given to another person with a background in economics or finance. Speculation was rife that Minister-without-Portfolio Hu Sheng-cheng (胡勝正) was the leading candidate to take up the position.

Lin Chia-lung yesterday, however, dismissed such speculation, saying that the new Cabinet line-up would not be finalized until after the premier led Cabinet officials in resigning en masse on either May 5 or May 12.

In accordance with the Constitution, the entire Executive Yuan must resign before the new president is inaugurated. Chen is scheduled to be sworn in for his second four-year term on May 20.

As for the future of Cabinet Secretary-General Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳), Lin Chia-lung said that she was still determined to leave her post after the presidential inauguration.

"Although she met with the premier [Monday] and [yesterday], they failed to touch on the matter," he said. "Communication about the matter -- as well as others -- between her and the premier has not stopped and will continue."

Liu has tendered her resignation, saying she wishes to advance her studies.

Lin Chia-lung yesterday also brushed aside a media report that the Cabinet has agreed to open up the first-stage investment policies for businesses based in China after the presidential inauguration.

He said that the Mainland Affairs Council and Ministry of Finance are still evaluating the possibility of opening up the local investment market in three stages, and will make public the final decision as they come to a consensus.

To honor Chen's pledge to allow the issuance of sports lotteries, Lin Chia-lung said that the premier yesterday requested that the government agencies concerned study the proposal and hammer out concrete measures.
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