Premier Yu Shyi-kun finally approved the resignation of Environmental Protection Administration chief Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) last night after Hau made his resignation twice.
Chang chu-an (張祖恩), the deputy director general of the EPA, was appointed to serve as the acting head before the premier decides Hau's successor.
Earlier yesterday, the EPA head offered his resignation again and said he hopes that Premier Yu Shyi-kun will accept it this time.
"Both President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Premier Yu have been fully supporting me with my policies ever since I became administrator in 2001," said Hau. "However, I hope that Premier Yu can approve my resignation this time. It is time for me to go."
Hau went to work as usual yesterday and said that he would do so until his resignation is approved.
When approached by reporters, he said that Yu had visited him at his Shihlin residence on Thursday night and that he appreciated Yu's sincere effort to persuade him not to leave.
"Unfortunately, I am not changing my decision at all," he said. "But I will keep doing my work as long as I am still working at the administration."
It is rumored that Hau will become a pan-blue candidate in the Taipei City mayoral election in 2006. "This is not one of my plans as we speak now," Hau said.
Hau said that his second resignation was to be delivered to Yu's office before noon yesterday.
Earlier yesterday, Yu confirmed that he visited Hau on Thursday night but he said that "there is still a chance to keep Hau in his office."
"The door is not completely closed. We are still working on it. I have not given up trying to persuade him yet," Yu said.
When asked whether he has been considering any replacement for Hau, Yu said that it never crossed his mind.
"Hau is still our environmental protection administrator and I am still trying to talk him out of it. As a result, I have never thought about a replacement at all," Yu said.
As of press time yesterday, Yu said that he had not yet received Hua's second resignation.
Hau first offered his resignation on Oct. 1 by saying that he doubted he would be able to carry out national policies because his views on referendums differ from those of the Cabinet.
Yu rejected Hau's offer immediately but Hau insisted that he was determined to go.
Hau was until yesterday the only ministerial-level official from the pan-blue camp in the DPP-led administration.
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