Premier-designate Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced five members of his future Cabinet, including former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) and writer Li Yuan (李遠), who are to lead the ministries of the interior and culture respectively.
Cho, who on Wednesday was named premier-designate by president-elect William Lai (賴清德), made the announcement at a news conference in Taipei.
Cho said that Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) would be minister of transportation and communications and National Sun Yat-sen University president Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) would be minister of education.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Taipei Chief District Prosecutors Cheng Ming-chien (鄭銘謙) is to serve as minister of justice, Cho said.
The new appointees all have solid track records in their respective professional fields and have exhibited the ability to fulfill their tasks, he said.
“We aim to continue developing Taiwan based on its existing foundation, and to find new approaches for old issues while identifying effective solutions when we come up against new challenges,” Cho said.
Cho commended Liu for her emergency response abilities, which he attributed to her extensive experience serving in the local governments of Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung and Penghu County.
Cheng Ming-chien previously led the Ministry of Justice’s Agency Against Corruption and therefore has solid knowledge of the ministry’s operations, he said.
Li Meng-yen was named minister of transportation and communications due to his strong communication and coordination skills gained through years of serving as the Cabinet’s secretary-general and due to his civil engineering expertise, Cho said.
Li Yuan, better known by his pen name Hsiao Yeh (小野), is an acclaimed novelist and scriptwriter who has worked across various mediums over the years, including literature, cinema and theater, he said.
Cho expressed hope that Li Yuan would use his extensive network of contacts to promote a “culturally sustainable Taiwan.”
Cheng Ying-yao has extensive experience working in higher education and government education agencies, and would strive to elevate the competitiveness of Taiwanese students and enhance the research capabilities of universities, Cho said.
DPP sources said that the selection of Li Yuan and Cheng Ming-chien shows that Lai would be choosing ministers based on their talent, not on party affiliation.
However, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said the appointment of the new premier and Cabinet ministers fell short of the public’s expectations for Lai’s government to be a fresh start.
KMT Legislator Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷) questioned the competence of those appointed and said that many of them were given important roles in the Cabinet because they had previously worked for DPP local governments in Tainan and Kaohsiung.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old