Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) is highly disciplined and dedicated to his post, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said yesterday, denying accusations that Su was installing his people in state-run enterprises to pave the way for a presidential bid in 2024.
Former Taiyen Biotech Co chairman Chen Chi-yu (陳啟昱) on Feb. 1 resigned his post, followed by former CSBC Corp, Taiwan president Tseng Kuo-cheng (曾國正) on Feb. 2 and former CPC Corp, Taiwan chairman Jerry Ou (歐嘉瑞) before the Lunar New Year holiday, local media have reported.
Last year, high-level executives of the Small and Medium Enterprise Credit Guarantee Fund, Agricultural Bank of Taiwan, Taiwan International Airport Services Co, among others, were also changed abruptly, after Su in March last year instructed that politicians no longer chair state-run enterprises, the reports said.
Photo: CNA
The unusually frequent changes prompted accusations that Su had been installing his people at state-run enterprises to expand his power base within the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and that he would run in the next presidential election, they said.
Asked about the reports during a radio interview with Clara Chou (周玉蔻) yesterday, Lo said Su always prioritizes people’s moral integrity and qualifications when making appointments.
It is normal for some heads of state-run enterprises to retire due to age, said Lo, who is also a minister without portfolio.
Some personnel changes were caused by other reasons, he said, denying accusations that Su used the positions for pork barreling or to expand his political influence.
While some people describe Su as a harsh bureaucrat, Lo said the description is not correct, as Su hopes to get things done efficiently and values earning respect more than being liked, Lo said.
Asked if Su would run for in 2024 presidential election, Lo said he believes Su would not.
He had not confirmed the matter with Su, because asking such a question would be impolite and because Su last year when asked the same question had said that he no longer “itched” for higher political power, Lo said.
Su and Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) ran on the DPP ticket in the 2008 presidential election, with Su running for vice president.
The pair was defeated by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidates former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and former vice president Vincent Siew (蕭萬長).
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