Premier Sean Chen (陳冲) yesterday kept mum about any possible successor to Lin Yi-shih (林益世), who resigned as secretary-general of the Executive Yuan late on Thursday night amid allegations of corruption.
Former department of health minister Yeh Ching-chuan (葉金川), a close confidant of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), was rumored to be a possible candidate, but offered no comment on the speculation.
Yeh said that he “was not aware of that [speculation]” in a telephone interview.
Earlier yesterday, Chen said he has not yet started to consider possible successors to Lin, but added that he has two criteria: that the chief staff shall be good at dealing with difficulties and atcommunicating with people.
Lin, 44, was a four-term lawmaker who lost his re-election bid in January this year.
The premier said Lin was appointed secretary-general because both President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and him considered Lin met the qualifications.
Chen dismissed media speculation that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Secretary-General Lin Join-sane (林中森), who served as secretary-general of the Executive Yuan when Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) was premier, or Liao Liou-yi (廖了以), president of Association of East Asian Relations, who served as secretary-general of the KMT and the Presidential Office, were possible replacements.
Lin resigned two days after he was accused by Chen Chi-hsiang (陳啟祥) — the owner of Kaohsiung-based Ti Yung Co — of taking a bribe of NT$63 million (US$2.1 million) from the company in 2010 and of demanding NT$83 million in February and March when his company was to renew procurement contracts with two of China Steel Corp’s subsidiaries.
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