Three Resignations Ahead of Possible Cabinet Reshuffle

TaiwanPlus News

Three cabinet officials have quite ahead of a possible reshuffle. Some in the opposition says the rest of the Cabinet should resign en masse. But some in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party say any issues with job performance are down to opposition budget cuts leaving ministries without the resources they need.

Transcript

00:00An expected cabinet reshuffle hasn't even begun yet, and officials are already leaving their posts.

00:06Three quit Friday.

00:08Not all the resignations were a surprise.

00:11Digital Minister Huang Yen-nun's post was only meant to be temporary.

00:15And Deputy Education Minister Ye Pin-zheng had been facing controversy

00:18for revealing the identity of a student who said she'd been sexually assaulted.

00:23But then the Economy Minister, JW Guo, announced he's quitting too, citing health issues.

00:28This puts the progress of Taiwan's green energy transition,

00:32investment by Taiwanese firms, and industrial development policy in question.

00:37The head of the cabinet sees a chance for a fresh start.

00:58But on the political level, it's a fresh source of partisan divide.

01:03The main opposition, Kuomintang, and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party

01:06have very different takes on what's going on.

01:09Some in the Kuomintang say the rest of the cabinet should follow suit and quit en masse.

01:14They say a failed campaign to eject Kuomintang lawmakers from their seats

01:18is the current government's only real achievement.

01:20And they say the sitting cabinet lingering on

01:22after a referendum on nuclear power Saturday could hurt the country.

01:26The ruling Democratic Progressive Party, however,

01:49says cabinet officials aren't to blame for any lack of results.

01:53Instead, it blames the opposition for budget cuts

01:56that it says hobble the cabinet's ability to do its job properly.

01:59In a year of high political tensions,

02:18debate about the cabinet and whether it needs a total shake-up

02:21is yet another partisan wedge,

02:23and any common ground may prove hard to find.

02:25John Hsu and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended