Premier Su Tseng-chang's (蘇貞昌) unexpected resignation yesterday surprised both the pan-green and pan-blue camps.
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday said she was unaware of Su's intentions until he announced earlier in the day that he had tendered resignation to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and that Chen had accepted it.
She also said that she did not know why Su submitted his resignation to the president.
Responsibility
Su might have believed that he had to step down to shoulder responsibility for failing to get the budget for the Executive Yuan's operations last year passed at the Legislative Yuan, Lu said, adding that she believed that Su's resignation from the premiership won't shake the DPP's solidarity or harm the party's presidential bid next year.
Stay on
Expressing his surprise at Su's resignation and the president's approval of it, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Wang Tuoh (
Another DPP caucus whip, Ker Chien-ming (
The caucus also recognized Su's wisdom in giving room for Chen to maneuver "from above" in next year's presidential election, Ker said.
DPP Legislator Cheng Yun-peng (
Low key
DPP legislators who are affiliated with former premier Frank Hsieh's (
DPP Lawmaker Tsao Lai-wang (
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said he believed that repeated changes in the premiership do not favor the nation's development.
Six premiers
"[When the new premier takes the position] there will have been six premiers in seven years. This is not only harmful to our political stability, but also harms policy continuity," he said.
Ma made the comments during his cycling campaign trip in Pingtung yesterday.
Ma added that he did not know why Su wanted to step down.
Meanwhile, other KMT officials criticized the DPP administration for frequently changing its leaders.
"[The frequent change of premiers] shows that making political arrangements and distributing power, instead of governing the country, are the biggest priorities for the DPP government," KMT spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) said in a press release.
People First Party Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said that Su's resignation showed that "President Chen obviously regards the premiership as a reward for politicians" because of the frequent changes in the position in the last seven years.
Additional reporting by Loa Iok-sin and CNA
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
The brilliant blue waters, thick foliage and bucolic atmosphere on this seemingly idyllic archipelago deep in the Pacific Ocean belie the key role it now plays in a titanic geopolitical struggle. Palau is again on the front line as China, and the US and its allies prepare their forces in an intensifying contest for control over the Asia-Pacific region. The democratic nation of just 17,000 people hosts US-controlled airstrips and soon-to-be-completed radar installations that the US military describes as “critical” to monitoring vast swathes of water and airspace. It is also a key piece of the second island chain, a string of
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
RSS