President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday rejected local media speculation that he was considering replacing Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) after the nation's economic growth contracted 2.35 percent in the second quarter.
According to the report, Chen had been exploring the possibility of replacing the premier before the year-end elections as he dined with political heavyweights on Friday.
However, Chen flatly rejected the allegation yesterday, calling it "groundless."
"I was astounded to read such an absolutely distorted and baseless news report," Secretary-General to the President Yu Shyi-kun quoted Chen as saying yesterday.
Yu also said that Chen had expressed his "100 percent support for Chang and was furious over such an irresponsible news report."
Yu added that the premier even attended last Friday's dinner, as did DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (
Yu said that Chen never mentioned about anything regarding a future Cabinet reshuffle and that they were unlikely to discuss the matter with Chang present.
He expressed his hope that the media could practice self-discipline when reporting the news.
Chang yesterday said he was shrugging off the news report, and that he would focus on his tasks at hand.
"As long as I am in office ... all I care about is how well I do my job," Chang said yesterday before hosting an official luncheon to welcome a visiting group of Japanese congressmen in Taipei.
Chang said yesterday that it is within the president's power to appoint a new premier, but that Chen had not informed him of any such plan.
The media report further said that Hsieh, former premier Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), KMT heavyweight Chiang Ping-kun (江丙坤), legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and Taiwan Solidarity Union leader Huang Chu-wen (黃主文) are all possible replacements for Chang.
None of the five would confirm yesterday if they were likely to be tapped for the position.
Wang said that he was "extremely unlikely to take the offer should he be asked to," while Siew, Chiang and Huang all said that they hadn't heard of such a proposal.
Hsieh also yesterday denied the speculative report, saying that he was concentrating only on winning his Kaohsiung mayoral re-election bid next year.
What's more, anyone who would succeed Chang would in any case have to tender their resignation to the president next February following the December legislative reshuffle.
Therefore, yesterday's media report was considered far-fetched since no politician would be likely to accept such a temporary offer.
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