It is uncertain whether Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) would perform well as premier, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday, as politicians weighed in after the Presidential Office confirmed that the former vice president would succeed Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌).
The Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) yesterday reported that Chen accepted President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) request that he be nominated to become the new premier after they spoke during the Lunar New Year holiday.
The report came after Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on Thursday last week announced that he and his Cabinet had submitted their resignation to Tsai.
Photo: CNA
Noting that Chen’s nomination must be approved by the legislature, Ko said that Chen has a good relationship with people and is polite.
Regarding whether Chen would do a better job than Su as premier, Ko said that whether Chen can do the job well is yet to be seen, and it is too early to evaluate him.
Former Taoyuan mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said that Chen has the quality of a clergyman and the rationality of a scientist, and a Cabinet led by him could usher Taiwan into a new era.
He also said that he hopes Chen could appoint his Cabinet heads according to their expertise and based on the principle of meritocracy.
Chen and his Cabinet would first need to deal with the government’s proposed NT$6,000 cash rebate from last year’s surplus tax revenue, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said.
There are also many challenges in the new lunar year, including global economic issues, Taiwan’s international relationships and heightened threats from China, he said.
Chen’s qualities of being reliable and cordial would likely help him lead a Cabinet that is friendly, but has strength and is willing to fight for the nation and promote unity, Wang said.
EVA Airways was ranked the eighth-best airline in the world for this year, the only Taiwanese carrier to make it into the top 25 Airline Excellence Awards this year, aviation reviews Web site AirlineRatings.com said on Wednesday. AirlineRatings.com has a seven-star rating system to evaluate more than 360 airlines around the world every year, EVA Airways said in a statement on Thursday. “We are delighted that efforts by the entire EVA staff have been recognized by Airline Ratings,” EVA Airways president Clay Sun (孫嘉明) said in the release. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company identified and adopted services and procedures that enhance and
Exiled Chinese democracy advocate Wang Dan (王丹) yesterday denied an accusation by former Taiwanese political worker Lee Yuan-chun (李援軍) that Wang had sexually harassed him in a hotel room in New York nine years ago. There was a huge gap between Lee’s accusation and his own understanding and memory, Wang wrote on Facebook, adding it was hard for him to respond further regarding a “unilateral description” made by someone else. Wang made the remarks after his initial response on Facebook was met with criticism, with people saying he did not directly address the allegation. Lee on Friday wrote on Facebook that he
‘NEGLIGENCE’: After reporting the incident, her superior allegedly asked her why she did not scream, which was an inappropriate attempt to ignore the allegations, critics said An accusation of sexual harassment led to the resignation of a top Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) official, while President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has called for a thorough investigation into the incident involving a contractor. Vice President and DPP Chairman William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said he approved the resignation of DPP deputy secretary-general Hsu Chia-tien (許嘉恬), who headed the party’s Women’s Development Department when the alleged incident happened in September last year. “Gender equality is among our party’s core values, that we have strived for and advanced along with Taiwanese society,” Lai said. “The DPP did not handle it appropriately at the time,
#METOO MOVEMENT: A woman who formerly worked at the TPP said that she was repeatedly harassed by a party deputy secretary last year and it was covered up Vice President and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman William Lai (賴清德) yesterday announced new party procedures for filing complaints and investigating reports of sexual misconduct in response to more accusations of negligence against the party in handling reports of sexual abuse. In what local media dubbed Taiwan’s #MeToo movement, more people went public yesterday with allegations about the DPP, other parties and local governments. Lai said he deeply regrets the situation and apologized to the victims, while also praising them for having the courage to come forward. “When facing bullying and violations in the workplace, it is most important to stand up to
RSS