Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) might reshuffle his Cabinet in June, Executive Yuan spokesman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday.
Given that the Legislative Yuan will conclude its current session in May, Hsieh is considering a Cabinet reshuffle in early June, ahead of the original July-August schedule, Cho explained.
Referring to the possible line-up of Hsieh's new Cabinet, the spokesman declined to specify but said the premier will conduct an overall assessment before making the decision.
He said, however, that the Hakka Affairs Council chairmanship and the Environmental Protection Administrator's post, which have been vacant for several weeks, as well as one vacant minister without portfolio post, will be filled in the reshuffle.
Whether or not the Legislative Yuan will approve in its current session a draft amendment to the Organic Law of the Executive Yuan (行政院組織法修正草案) will serve as another factor for the reshuffle, Cho went on, adding that if the amendment is approved, the scale of the reshuffle will be limited because the current Cabinet will have only six months before the Executive Yuan's reorganization as stipulated by the law that is scheduled to be put into effect at the beginning of next year.
Also, he went on, the post left vacant by former Vice Minister of the Interior Lin Yung-chien (林永堅) will be filled.
Lin resigned April 28 to assume responsibility for the clumsy police handling of violent clashes between opponents and supporters of Chinese Nationalist Party Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) visit to China at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport last Tuesday.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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