Shake-up at MAC as vice chairman quits post

""I will follow the president's lead. That means, if the president joins the rally, I will too."

Frank Hsieh, premier

Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday that Public Construction Deputy Minister Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) will assume the role of acting commissioner for Yunlin County until a new commissioner is elected in December, while Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Vice Chairman Chiu Tai-san (邱太三), who officially resigned his post, will announce his candidacy for Taichung County commissionership on Monday.

"Lee is now the most appropriate candidate for the position and we will discuss more details with him soon," Hsieh said. "As for Chiu, we have received his official resignation and will accept it, as he is campaigning for the year-end elections."

Hsieh made the remarks at the legislature yesterday while answering questions from People First Party (PFP) Legislators Chung Shao-ho (鍾紹和) and Cheng Chin-ling (鄭金玲).

Chiu himself told reporters that he will call a press conference Monday morning to announce his plans to run in the year-end county commissioner elections.

Chiu said of a rumor that Ketagalan Institute vice president You Ying-lung (游盈隆) will take over his position as MAC vice chairman that the final decision will be up to his superiors -- President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), Hsieh and MAC Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮).

In addition to questions about the Cabinet, the PFP lawmakers also asked the premier about details of the March 26 rally against the Chinese government's of the "Anti-Secession" law.

Asked if he would participate in the rally, the premier was evasive and side-stepped a question whether it is proper for some officials, who are in charge of public safety, to join the rally. Hieh also said he would announce whether he will participate in the demonstration on Monday.

"I will follow the president's lead. That means, if the president joins the rally, I will too," Hsieh said.

Meanwhile, Hsieh also said that the rally has nothing to do with political disputes. It will be an event for the public to vent their anger toward the Anti-Secession law. As a result, people with differing political affiliations will be welcome at the rally.

The premier said that the government never changed the cross-strait relationship. It was the Chinese government which did so.

"They (Chinese officials) decided to change current status quo and endanger the peace in the Taiwan Strait. Of course, Taiwanese people have the right to show their anger because their rights were ignored," Hsieh said. "Only Taiwanese people have the right to decide their future."

Hsieh also promised that during his term as premier, he will not endorse or support the making of a new constitution or change the name of the country.

"However, if the majority of Taiwanese people decide to [to amend or make a new Constitution], government leaders are supposed to respect that decision," Hsieh said.