The Presidential Office yesterday was mum on reports that former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) would take over as premier in the middle of next month, because Premier William Lai (賴清德) is determined to resign to assume responsibility for the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) losses in the Nov. 24 nine-in-one elections.
The Chinese-language Next Magazine on Wednesday night reported that Su had agreed to take up the post shortly before then-Minister of Education Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮) on Monday unexpectedly approved the appointment of National Taiwan University president-elect Kuan Chung-min (管中閔).
Su, 71, was initially reluctant to serve again as premier, and it was not until after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊) and Lai entreated him that he finally agreed to the appointment, the report said.
Photo: Lin Hsin-han, Taipei Times
Tsai had tried to persuade Lai to stay, but the premier was steadfast in his resolve to resign over the DPP’s loss in the local elections, it said.
Widely viewed as a potential DPP candidate in the 2020 presidential election, Lai plans to travel abroad to “do some thinking and re-energize himself,” it added.
The Presidential Office has not released any such information, spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said.
Local media reports added that Su had started soliciting potential Cabinet members, which include former DPP Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) and former Taichung mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍).
Chen Chi-mai would be appointed vice premier, while Lin would assume the post of Environmental Protection Administration minister, a position vacated by Lee Ying-yuan (李應元), who resigned after the elections, reports said.
When asked to comment, Lin said he had not heard about the appointment.
“One does not need to be a government official to contribute [to the nation],” he said on the sidelines of an event to raise awareness about caring for people with disabilities in Taichung.
Chen Chi-mai could not be reached for comment yesterday.
DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said that if the reports were true, Su, a senior DPP member, would be a “reassuring” pick for premier during these “tumultuous” times, as he would be able to bring a party that is still reeling from its election loss back on track.
Su has a well-rounded resume, she said, adding that having served as commissioner of then-Taipei County and premier, he is well-versed in formulating and pushing policies.
Chen Chi-mai, having served as a lawmaker, Presidential Office deputy secretary-general and Cabinet spokesman, could improve communication between the office, the Cabinet and the party, thereby streamlining efforts within the party, she said.
As the appointment of a premier is in the president’s purview, the Executive Yuan has no comment on the issue, Cabinet spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said.
Twenty-four Republican members of the US House of Representatives yesterday introduced a concurrent resolution calling on the US government to abolish the “one China” policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Led by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the resolution calls for not only re-establishing formal relations, but also urges the US Trade Representative to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan and for US officials to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the UN and other international organizations. In a news release announcing the resolution, Tiffany, who represents a Wisconsin district, called the “one China” policy “outdated, counterproductive
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “[we] appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
ON PAROLE: The 73-year-old suspect has a criminal record of rape committed when he was serving in the military, as well as robbery and theft, police said The Kaohsiung District Court yesterday approved the detention of a 73-year-old man for allegedly murdering three women. The suspect, surnamed Chang (張), was arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the death of a 71-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙). The Kaohsiung City Police Department yesterday also unveiled the identities of two other possible victims in the serial killing case, a 75-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃), the suspect’s sister-in-law, and a 75-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張), who is not related to the suspect. The case came to light when Chao disappeared after taking the suspect back to his residence on Sunday. Police, upon reviewing CCTV
TRUMP ERA: The change has sparked speculation on whether it was related to the new US president’s plan to dismiss more than 1,000 Joe Biden-era appointees The US government has declined to comment on a post that indicated the departure of Laura Rosenberger as chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Neither the US Department of State nor the AIT has responded to the Central News Agency’s questions on the matter, after Rosenberger was listed as a former chair on the AIT’s official Web site, with her tenure marked as 2023 to this year. US officials have said previously that they usually do not comment on personnel changes within the government. Rosenberger was appointed head of the AIT in 2023, during the administration of former US president Joe
RSS