Incoming ROC Premier Sean C. Chen announced a partial Cabinet reshuffle Jan. 31, calling on economic experts and old hands to steer Taiwan through a period of global uncertainty triggered by the European sovereign debt crisis.
“The selection of the new Cabinet is similar to forming a champion baseball team—instead of finding nine power pitchers, we need the best players to fill each position,” Chen said.
The announcement came after Premier and Vice President-elect Wu Den-yih dissolved the Cabinet earlier in the day to pave the way for the new government after the Jan. 14 presidential and legislative elections.
Wu thanked members of the outgoing Cabinet for their hard work and contributions to the country, urging the new administration to give an excellent performance.
“Therein lies many important tasks demanding unremitting hard work for the new government,” Wu said. “I trust the incoming Cabinet will spare no effort in helping Chen drive the government agenda forward.”
Chen, currently vice premier, named serving Interior Minister Jiang Yi-huah his deputy, and Lee Hong-yuan, Public Construction Commission minister, as Jiang’s replacement. Lin Yi-shih, director of the ruling Kuomintang’s Policy Coordination Committee, will become Cabinet secretary-general.
Other changes saw Christina Y. Liu, Council for Economic Planning and Development minister, take over from Lee Sush-der as finance minister, with former Economic Affairs Minister Yiin Chii-ming succeeding Liu.
Chiang Wei-ling, president of National Central University, will step in for Minister of Education Wu Ching-ji. Chen Bao-ji, a professor at National Taiwan University’s Department of Animal Science, is to replace Chen Wu-hsiung as Council of Agriculture minister.
Lung Ying-tai, former Taipei City Government Bureau of Cultural Affairs commissioner, is to succeed Ovid J.L. Tzeng as Council for Cultural Affairs minister, while former ERA News anchor Chen Yi-zhen will assume the post of National Youth Commission minister.
Five of the nine ministers without portfolio are new faces, including Yang Chiu-hsing, former Democratic Progressive Party Kaohsiung County magistrate, Kuan Chung-ming, director of Academia Sinica’s Institute of Economics, Simon Chang, head of Google Inc.’s Asia-Pacific hardware operations, Huang Kuang-nan, former president of National Taiwan University of Arts and Chern Jenn-chuan, Public Construction Commission deputy minister.
Incumbent Minister without Portfolio Cyrus C. Y. Chu is to assume the position of National Science Council minister.
Economic Affairs Minister Shih Yen-shiang, Transportation and Communications Minister Mao Chi-kuo, Foreign Minister Timothy C. T. Yang, Defense Minister Kao Hua-chu, Department of Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta, Council of Labor Affairs Minister Wang Ju-hsuan and Government Information Office Minister Philip Yang will remain in their posts.
The new Cabinet is scheduled to be sworn in Feb. 6. (JSM)
Write to Rachel Chan at rachelchan@mail.gio.gov.tw