The Presidential Office yesterday dismissed the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle amid calls for President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to change government personnel in a bid to tackle economic problems.
Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said yesterday said Ma had no intention of reconfiguring the government, but that the administration took public opinion seriously.
“Our priority now is to unite the public and improve the economy,” Wang said.
Asked whether it was necessary to adjust economic policies, Wang said the Executive Yuan had announced several economic stimulus plans and was working on more.
The Presidential Office would respect the plans proposed by the executive branch, he said.
Wang made the remarks in response to a media inquiry on a proposal made by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄) who asked Ma to consider reshuffling the Cabinet before or after Double Ten Day on Oct. 10.
Wang said yesterday that during the weekly luncheon with the president, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and Premier Liu Chao-hsiuan (劉兆玄) proposed several measures to improve the economy, but participants did not spend much time discussing the issue.
An official at the Presidential Office, who asked to remain anonymous, said the pillar of the administration’s economic policy was to respect the market mechanism and strengthen economic foundations.
At a separate setting yesterday, KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) said that while he could not comment on the need to reshuffle the Cabinet, “some Cabinet officials” needed to considerably improve their performances. He did not give names.
In addition, KMT Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) called on the KMT administration to heed public sentiment on their living standards in view of the sagging economy.
The government is facing difficulties now because it is failing to help the public understand the administration’s vision, he said.
However, KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) said the government needed more time to show its administrative achievements.
“It is unlikely [the government] can improve the chronic problems of the past eight years within three months [of assuming office],” he said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS