The Presidential Office yesterday dismissed the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle amid calls for President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to change government personnel in a bid to tackle economic problems.
Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said yesterday said Ma had no intention of reconfiguring the government, but that the administration took public opinion seriously.
“Our priority now is to unite the public and improve the economy,” Wang said.
Asked whether it was necessary to adjust economic policies, Wang said the Executive Yuan had announced several economic stimulus plans and was working on more.
The Presidential Office would respect the plans proposed by the executive branch, he said.
Wang made the remarks in response to a media inquiry on a proposal made by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄) who asked Ma to consider reshuffling the Cabinet before or after Double Ten Day on Oct. 10.
Wang said yesterday that during the weekly luncheon with the president, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and Premier Liu Chao-hsiuan (劉兆玄) proposed several measures to improve the economy, but participants did not spend much time discussing the issue.
An official at the Presidential Office, who asked to remain anonymous, said the pillar of the administration’s economic policy was to respect the market mechanism and strengthen economic foundations.
At a separate setting yesterday, KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) said that while he could not comment on the need to reshuffle the Cabinet, “some Cabinet officials” needed to considerably improve their performances. He did not give names.
In addition, KMT Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) called on the KMT administration to heed public sentiment on their living standards in view of the sagging economy.
The government is facing difficulties now because it is failing to help the public understand the administration’s vision, he said.
However, KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) said the government needed more time to show its administrative achievements.
“It is unlikely [the government] can improve the chronic problems of the past eight years within three months [of assuming office],” he said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG
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