President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said that the new Cabinet would proactively carry out its duties in the remaining four months of his term and would not “merely be a passive caretaker.”
Cabinet members would also provide assistance to their successors to ensure a smooth transition of power, Ma said at a swearing-in ceremony for Premier Simon Chang (張善政) and his Cabinet members.
Ma cited three examples of proactive governance during the transition period.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
First, the National Financial Stabilization Fund has been supporting share prices in the volatile stock market since the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections, Ma said.
“We did not slack off just because the Cabinet resigned,” he said.
Second, he and then-acting premier Chang went to Miaoli and Tainan respectively to inspect agricultural losses in the wake of an unusual cold spell that hit Taiwan late last month, Ma said.
Third, he said he visited Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) in the South China Sea on Thursday last week and proposed a road map for his South China Sea peace initiative.
Chang replaced former premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國), who tendered his resignation after the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) defeat in the presidential and legislative elections.
There were only minor changes to the Cabinet, including former National Development Council minister Woody Duh (杜紫軍), who has filled the vice premier post left by Chang.
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Lin Chu-chia (林祖嘉) succeeded Duh.
Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) vice chairwoman Jennifer Wang (王儷玲) replaced FSC chairman Tseng Ming-chung (曾銘宗), who was sworn in yesterday as a legislator-at-large.
The Council of Agriculture (COA) is now headed by Chen Tze-ching (陳志清), who was promoted from vice minister, as COA minister Chen Bao-ji (陳保基) returned to teaching at National Taiwan University.
President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the Democratic Progressive Party is scheduled to take office on May 20, becoming the nation’s first female president.
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