Some interesting changes in key members of the Cabinet have already been made, and other likely ones in the offing are receiving a lot of attention in the media. Let’s have a thread for airing views on the changes and the people involved.
I didn’t know much about Su Jia-chyuan before he was appointed as the new Minister of the Interior, but he’s made a highly positive impression on me already. I like his affable manner, and I can see that he has a lot of charisma and the ability to charm people very easily. It strikes me that he could well be a man with a very big future: if he puts in a good performance in his new job, could he even become a contender for the DPP’s presidential candidacy in 2008?
I have rather less positive feelings about the appointment of Mark Chen as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Yes, I’m sure he’s a good man, highly honourable, and a capable enough legislator and local government leader. But is he quite right for the role of foreign minister? He doesn’t exactly look the part – rather more like a good-natured farmer than a sophisticated, worldly-wise orchestrator of Taiwan’s foreign diplomacy, in the mould of Frederick Chien or Jason Hu. But at least he’s a much better pick for the job than John Chang, whose only qualification for it was being the illegitimate son of Chiang Ching-kuo.
In connection with other forthcoming changes to the cabinet lineup, the person most in the spotlight is MAC chairperson Tsai Ing-wen. I have a tremendously high opinion of Tsai, and believe she has been one of the most outstanding members of the first DPP administration. I agree that she’d be an excellent representative for Taiwan in Washington, but I can understand her reluctance to take on such a job. I’d personally like to see her remain in charge of the MAC. But I’m afraid that she’s had enough of being in the front line of politics and taking flak from those brutes in the Legislative Yuan, and will choose to opt out and return to the stiller waters of academia. I hope Chen and others will be able to persuade her otherwise, because the government sorely needs people of her calibre in high-profile positions.
Another likely change, which was plastered across the front page of today’s Liberty Times, is the appointment of Ho Mei-yueh as Minister of Economic Affairs. I’ve been tipping that one for a while, and think it would be an excellent decision. She’s impressed me very well during her time as Vice Chairperson of the CEPD, especially with her fine grasp of detail, incisive thinking, flexibility, foresight, can-do spirit, and personable manner, and I’m sure she’d be worthy of elevation to the leadership of the MOEA.
Any thoughts about these or other changes, cabinet members you’d like to see replaced, people you think should be brought into the government, or anything else related to the formation of the new administration?