Hopes for a major Cabinet reshuffle were dashed yesterday as the newly appointed premier announced a team filled with many old, familiar faces.
Legislators panned the “micro-changes” in the Executive Yuan as the work of a government that has grown numb to public calls for reform.
While President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) promised major reforms after the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) massive defeat at the nine-in-elections last Saturday, the new appointments have turned out to be mainly major promotions instead of changes of personnel.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Incoming premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國), who was appointed on Wednesday, served as vice premier under outgoing Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺). Mao’s new Cabinet includes: Minister of Science and Technology Simon Chang (張善政), who has been named the new vice premier; Minister Without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中), who is to succeed Minister of Economic Affairs Woody Duh (杜紫軍); and Coast Guard Administration Deputy Minister Wang Chung-yi (王崇儀), who is to take over as head of the agency.
Other ministry heads are to remain in their posts, including Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時), who has been the target of unrelenting protests by former toll collectors and their supporters, and Minister of Justice Luo Ying-shay (羅瑩雪), who has been the target of criticism by various civic groups advocating legal reforms, abolition of the death penalty and marriage equality.
The vacancies left by the promotion of Chang and the resignation of Minister of Culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) are to be temporarily filled by their respective deputy ministers.
Environmental Protection Administration Deputy Minister Yeh Hsin-cheng (葉欣誠) has been named a minister without portfolio, as two former ministers without portfolio — Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) and Chien Tai-lang (簡太郎) — had resigned to run as the KMT’s candidates for Greater Kaohsiung mayor and Pingtung County commissioner. Both lost in the polls. The other vacancy awaits future designation.
Duh, the outgoing minister of economic affairs, is stepping into the vacancy left by Deng. The two are, in effect, just swapping positions.
The much-touted en masse resignation of the Cabinet ended with only three members actually leaving: Jiang, Lung and outgoing Coast Guard Administration Minister Wang Ginn-wang (王進旺).
KMT Legislator Liao Kuo-tung (廖國棟) said people have become “numb” to the so-called new moves that the government is making in the wake of the party’s electoral defeat.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said the minor changes made to the Cabinet showed that the KMT, despite its electoral rout, “has failed to respond to people’s calls for reforms.”
“President Ma Ying-jeou has not learned his lesson at all; he is completely at a loss on how to interpret the election results,” Tsai said.
DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) called the “old-wine-in-old-bottle” Cabinet “a caretaker Cabinet that is not blessed” and is “destined to fail.”
The new Cabinet is scheduled to take office on Monday.
Meanwhile, the legislature yesterday decided that Mao and his new Cabinet would make their policy address and reports on the central government’s general budget proposal to the legislature next Friday and on Dec. 15.
The three party caucuses will have 23 lawmakers participate in the question-and-answer session, 10 each for the KMT and the DPP and three for the Taiwan Solidarity Union.
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