President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) as new National Security Bureau director-general and Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) as Presidential Office secretary-general, ahead of a Cabinet reshuffle.
Former Taoyuan mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) is to become vice premier, while former Keelung mayor Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) is to become minister of the interior, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported, citing a preliminary list of Cabinet positions compiled by the Presidential Office on Wednesday, after Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) announced the resignation of his Cabinet before the Lunar New Year holiday.
The report came a day after the government confirmed that former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) was nominated by Tsai Ing-wen to be the new premier.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Liberty Times
The new Cabinet would include more female ministers than the previous one, the Liberty Times reported.
The government has set three major principles on how Cabinet members would be selected after the president held meetings with Chen, Su and Vice President William Lai (賴清德) on Wednesday, the report said.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), who served as deputy head of the Central Epidemic Command Center, is to become the new Executive Yuan spokesman, it said.
Photo: Lo Pei-te, Taipei Times
Executive Yuan Secretary-General Lee Meng-yen (李孟諺) and Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) are to keep their posts, the report said.
Chen Chien-jen reportedly told Tsai Ing-wen that apart from their respective expertise, he would be selecting his Cabinet members based on three guiding principles: raising the number of female Cabinet members, retaining more officials aged 44 to 64, as well as members with experience in local governments.
Cheng was chosen because he is familiar with local politics and has a track record of successfully coordinating between central and local governments, the report said, adding that his expertise would complement Chen Chien-jen’s lack of experience in local politics.
Photo: Lu Hsien-hsiu, Taipei Times
The Presidential Office is to make a formal announcement on the new Cabinet today.
The current Cabinet is to resign on Monday, while the new members are to take office on Tuesday, it said.
Separately, local media yesterday reported that Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) would switch posts.
Photo: AP
As of press time last night, the government had not commented on the report.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said Chen Chien-jen would face a “tough job full of challenges.”
“He and his Cabinet must provide leadership ahead of the upcoming presidential and legislative elections. This is a huge job, but somebody must take up the burden,” she said. “Chen Chien-jen is the man for the job, and we all have great expectations for him to lead us into the elections.”
Additional reporting by CNA and Jason Pan
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old