Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo- yung (徐國勇) yesterday tendered his resignation, citing personal health issues, Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) supported Hsu’s decision, but said that he wished the interior minister could have continued in the position.
Su said that the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) losses in the Nov. 26 local government elections — in which it won only five of 21 elections for city and county leaders — require consistency in the party and its administrative team to “squarely face the election outcome and engage in introspection.”
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) held a meeting with core members of her administrative team and the DPP on Sunday to discuss post-election political and economic situations at home and abroad, as well as administration reform, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said.
The meeting was attended by Su, Vice President William Lai (賴清德), National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄), DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), and Kaohsiung Mayor and acting DPP chairman Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), Chang said.
At the meeting, Tsai tasked the Executive Yuan with continuing to focus on economic stability in the post-COVID-19 era, he said.
Tsai said the Cabinet should adopt measures to help pandemic-affected industries, young people and economically disadvantaged families, as well as curb soaring housing prices to reduce the local effects of high global inflation, Chang said.
The meeting called for reduced confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties, and more cooperation between central and local governments, he said.
Participants at the meeting agreed that the administration should be humble in the face of the election outcome, and newly elected city and county leaders should also reflect on the party’s overall poor showing, Chang said.
They also agreed that the administration should work toward maintaining political stability, he added.
The DPP has begun arrangements to elect a new party chair, while reshuffles are expected in the Presidential Office and Cabinet after the current legislative session concludes at the end of this month, Chang said.
The administration is also dedicated to ensuring national security and maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, he added.
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