A personnel shake-up will occur at the National Security Council (NSC) following the resignation of four council members, but officials denied the reorganization was in any way related to a reported upcoming Cabinet reshuffle.
A council member, who asked to remain anonymous, said that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) approved the resignations of deputy secretary-generals Ho Szu-yin (何思因) and Lee Hai-tung (李海東) as well as those of council advisers Philip Yang (楊永明) and Chan Man-jung (詹滿容).
Yang, who tendered his resignation after the Lunar New Year, said yesterday he would return to his position as a professor of political science at National Taiwan University.
Ho said he would return to National Chengchi University to teach political science.
Chan was an associate professor at Tamkang University. Lee, a former deputy defense minister, is likely to retire.
As the contracts of the four expire on May 19, the source said the resignations were unrelated to any Cabinet reshuffle.
The Chinese-language United Daily News reported yesterday that the departure of Vice Premier Eric Chu (朱立倫) who is about to leave his post to campaign for the November elections, would likely trigger a Cabinet reshuffle.
The report also claimed that the NSC would change its focus from defense, foreign affairs and cross-strait relations to domestic affairs.
A source from the council dismissed such claims, saying the NSC’s remit would continue to include everything that touches on national security.
The NSC got a new chief in February, when Hu Wei-jen (胡為真) was sworn in to replace Su Chi (蘇起) who resigned unexpectedly on Feb. 11, citing health and family reasons.
Hu, a 62-year-old career diplomat, is the son of general Hu Tsung-nan (胡宗南), a favorite of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).
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