Former Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) reportedly agreed to replace Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌). That’s according to a report from Taiwanese newspaper Liberty Times published on Wednesday. Earlier this month, Su said the whole Cabinet including himself will resign once replacements were confirmed.
The report says President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has convinced Chen to accept the role as the new premier. The report also says the president may make the announcement as early as Thursday. Polls have shown a majority of Taiwanese support a Cabinet reshuffle following last November’s local elections.
DPP legislator Hsu Chi-chieh (許智傑) says the new Cabinet will help the party regain the people’s trust. Hsu adds he hopes the new cabinet will include more new faces and women as well.
Taiwan People’s Party lawmaker Jang Chyi-lu (張其祿) says managing the new Cabinet will be a tough challenge for Chen. However, Chang says the real challenge is addressing people’s concerns, such as promised tax rebates, high living costs, and cross-strait issues. Chang says he hopes the new Cabinet will swiftly address all those concerns rather than merely just changing its appearance.