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Six Cabinet posts remain unfilled as speculation mounts

The search for the final six appointments to Cabinet continued yesterday, even though the present Cabinet's resignation is just two days away.

The six vacancies are the defense minister, the head of the Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen, the head of the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, the chairperson of the National Youth Commission and two more ministers without portfolio.

Speculation was also mounting that Shirley Lin (林靜萍), executive-general of the Judicial Reform Foundation (民間司法改革基金會), would take the lead position at the National Youth Commission.

Lin herself, however, dismissed the idea.

"No one has ever contacted me about this matter," Lin, 36, told the Taipei Times.

Lin said that taking up such a position was not part of her career plan, and that she had always wanted to pursue studies in the US before she joined the foundation two years ago.

"Anyway, my expertise is in law, not in youth-related matters," she said.

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has pledged that the new head of the National Youth Commission would be "the youngest person in the Cabinet," and has said that the successful candidate should be a woman under 35.

Speculation is also mounting that Fu Li-yeh (傅立葉), an associate professor of sociology at the National Chengchi University, will be appointed as a minister without portfolio in charge of culture, education and welfare.

Fu specializes in social welfare and women's studies. One of the front-runners to succeed Budget, Accounting and Statistics Director-General Hale Liu (劉三錡) is Liu's deputy, Hsu Jan-yau (許璋瑤).
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