PRESIDENT WANTS PREMIER TO REMAIN IN POST: SPOKESMAN
ROC Central News Agency
2005-12-05 23:09:06
Taipei, Dec. 5 (CNA) Premier Frank Hsieh offered to resign immediately after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered a humiliating defeat in Saturday's local government elections, but President Chen Shui-bian has rejected Hsieh's offer, a government spokesman said Monday.
Government Information Office Minister Pasuya Yao was responding to a call from the DPP's "pan-green camp" ally -- the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) -- that Hsieh should step down to assume the responsibility for the DPP administration's lackluster administrative record, which the TSU said has been a critical factor in the "pan-green camp's" drubbing in the elections.
The DPP won just six of the 23 mayoral and magistrate posts up for grabs, while the TSU came away empty-handed. DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang quit shortly after the electoral outcome became clear. "Hsieh informed Chen of his decision to resign no later than Su, but the president rejected his offer. As keeping the administration afloat and maintaining domestic political stability are as important as taking the blame for the election defeat, Chen decided that the premier needs to stay to round off the DPP's unaccomplished reform initiatives," Yao said.
Hsieh took a day off Monday to undergo a long-scheduled physical checkup which gave him a clean bill of health, Yao said.
The premier had a working dinner with his close aides, including Cabinet Secretary-General Cho Jung-tai and Yao.
According to Yao, Hsieh will return to work Tuesday. High on his agenda is paying a visit to Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng to seek his support for the central government's 2006 budget bill.
(By Sofia Wu)
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