Premier Sean Chen (陳冲) yesterday kept mum about any possible successor to Lin Yi-shih (林益世), who resigned as secretary-general of the Executive Yuan late on Thursday night amid allegations of corruption.
Former department of health minister Yeh Ching-chuan (葉金川), a close confidant of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), was rumored to be a possible candidate, but offered no comment on the speculation.
Yeh said that he “was not aware of that [speculation]” in a telephone interview.
Earlier yesterday, Chen said he has not yet started to consider possible successors to Lin, but added that he has two criteria: that the chief staff shall be good at dealing with difficulties and atcommunicating with people.
Lin, 44, was a four-term lawmaker who lost his re-election bid in January this year.
The premier said Lin was appointed secretary-general because both President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and him considered Lin met the qualifications.
Chen dismissed media speculation that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Secretary-General Lin Join-sane (林中森), who served as secretary-general of the Executive Yuan when Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) was premier, or Liao Liou-yi (廖了以), president of Association of East Asian Relations, who served as secretary-general of the KMT and the Presidential Office, were possible replacements.
Lin resigned two days after he was accused by Chen Chi-hsiang (陳啟祥) — the owner of Kaohsiung-based Ti Yung Co — of taking a bribe of NT$63 million (US$2.1 million) from the company in 2010 and of demanding NT$83 million in February and March when his company was to renew procurement contracts with two of China Steel Corp’s subsidiaries.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
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Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
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