Premier seeks 'bigger, faster' Cabinet reshuffle as support wanes

Taipei, Aug. 23 (CNA) The Cabinet is preparing a "bigger and faster" reshuffle to meet the expectations of Taiwanese society, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said Saturday, at a time when the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government is losing support.

Cho made the pledge after voting in Taipei's Neihu District in a national referendum on whether to reactivate the recently shut down Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant.

The referendum was held alongside a second wave of recall votes targeting seven Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers.

In the first round of recall votes targeting 24 KMT lawmakers on July 26, the DPP and pro-recall civic groups suffered a 24-0 defeat, a stunning rebuke of President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) who had hoped to use the recalls to regain control of the Legislative Yuan.

The lopsided loss increased pressure on the DPP and sent the president and premier's approval ratings spiraling further downward.

According to a poll released Aug. 11 by TVBS, public satisfaction with Lai's administration fell to a record low of 28 percent, while 55 percent expressed dissatisfaction and 18 percent had no opinion.

Similarly, a Formosa Publishing Co. (my-formosa.com) poll conducted after July 26 found that 34.6 percent of respondents were satisfied with Lai's administration, compared with 56.6 percent dissatisfied.

Trust in Lai also fell to a new low of 37.2 percent, while distrust rose to a record high of 50.3 percent, according to the poll's results, which were released on July 31.

Citing a late July conversation with Lai, Cho said the president, who also chairs the DPP, will approach Cabinet and other personnel arrangements "with more flexibility" in response to public expectations.

The Cabinet carried out its first major shake-up Friday, when Economics Minister Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝), Digital Minister Yennun Huang (黃彥男) and Deputy Education Minister Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) resigned, citing personal reasons.

All three have been routinely criticized for their performances in office and personal controversies.

Government sources later confirmed that Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) has been tapped as the new economics minister, while Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Xavier Chang (張惇涵) will succeed Kung.

Also on Saturday, former Interior Minister Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇), who was appointed DPP secretary-general earlier this week, said, "every arrangement is being made with the best selection."

KMT chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), however, said on Saturday that if the DPP was not interested in solving people's problems and only focused on destroying the opposition, no matter how the Cabinet was reshuffled it would not be successful.

Lai, who cast his referendum ballot in Tainan, did not speak to the press. He has previously made clear his opposition to extending the service of the Maanshan plant, whose closure in May ushered in the "nuclear-free homeland" era long championed by the DPP.

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安), and Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the KMT, also took part in the referendum vote.

New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) of the KMT and Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), the chairman of the opposition Taiwan People's Party and a potential New Taipei mayoral contender, also cast referendum votes.