Former legislative speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) is to become the Presidential Office secretary-general when President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) begins her second term tomorrow, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said yesterday.
The announcement came after Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊) on Sunday said on Facebook that she would be leaving her post tomorrow.
Reportedly, Tsai is to nominate Chen as president of the Control Yuan.
Photo: CNA
Huang yesterday said that Su has plenty of political experience, having previously served as a legislator, Pingtung County commissioner and Council of Agriculture minister, among many other positions, adding that he would be a great asset due to his expertise in facilitating communication between the public and the government.
Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Wellington Koo (顧立雄) is to replace David Lee (李大維) as National Security Council secretary-general, while Lee is to become chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation, Huang said.
Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka is to become the Presidential Office spokeswoman, while National Security Bureau Director-General Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) would continue in his role, he added.
Cabinet sources said that Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) and Executive Yuan Deputy Secretary-General Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) would stay on in the same positions.
Seven ministers without portfolio — Lin Wan-i (林萬億), Wu Tse-cheng (吳澤成), Chang Ching-sen (張景森), John Deng (鄧振中), Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫), Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) and Audrey Tang (唐鳳) — would also be staying, they said.
Executive Yuan Senior Secretary Ting Yi-ming (丁怡銘) would become Cabinet spokesperson, they added.
In other developments, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), said that while he had received an invitation to Tsai’s inauguration tomorrow, he would not be attending.
Over the past four years, Tsai has not done “what a Republic of China president should do,” he said.
The nation is regressing in areas including freedom, democracy, human rights, rule of law and the economy, he said, adding that he is concerned because Taiwan has no opportunity to join regional economic agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) also said that he would not be attending the inauguration.
Additional reporting by Chen Hsin-yu
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