Premier Liu Chao-shiuan accepted Yeh's written resignation, which takes effect on Thursday.

The outgoing health minister is scheduled to speak at an economic forum at Hong Kong on Wednesday and report on the fight against the A(H1N1) flu epidemic at a regular Cabinet meeting on the following day.

It will be Yeh's last report on the epidemic as head of the Department of Health.

President Ma is glad Yeh would stand for magistrate of Hualien, Tony Wang said.

“The President knows Yeh's love for Hualien, but did not urge Yeh to run,” said Ma's spokesman. “But,” he added, “President Ma is glad that Yeh will be running.”

That's not quite true, Democratic Progressive Party leaders said.

“As a matter of fact, Ma is projecting himself through Yeh over Hualien,” said Chao Tien-lin, acting DPP spokesman.

DPP lawmaker Twu Shiing-jer charged the Kuomintang with placing the party's interests above the war on swine flu.

At the time the epidemic is spreading, Yeh should stay on to ensure that Taiwan is duly protected against swine flu, said Twu, who served as minister of health under President Chen Shui-bian.

“Does Yeh have a conscience?” asked Wang Hsing-nan, another legislator of the opposition party. Yeh must have none, after deciding to run for the magistracy, he charged.

Kuomintang lawmaker Huang Wei-cheh said it's regrettable that Yeh has to withdraw from the fight against the epidemic. “We are afraid,” he added, “the operation to contain the epidemic may be adversely affected.”

His colleague Chiu Yi said Yeh made the worst decision at the worst time. “His resignation tells the people the Kuomintang attaches much more importance to the yearend elections than the fight to stop the spread of the new flu,” he said.

In Hualien, Kuomintang contenders are unhappy that Yeh is joining in the fray.

They had been warned the Kuomintang would draft Yeh, but Wu Poh-hsiung, the party chairman, said every electoral hopeful has to take part in a popularity poll.

“We have never tried to draft Yeh,” Wu said.

“He has to take part in the straw vote just as everybody else,” said Wu, who was reported as late as Monday to have sent an ultimatum to Yeh to accept the draft.

The Kuomintang suffered flip-flops in nominating a viable candidate for Hualien magistrate. At first, it planned to hold party primaries. They were then canceled, as Yeh was being persuaded to run with the understanding that he would be drafted.

The primaries consisted of a popular vote by party members and a straw vote.

In the face of strong opposition by five contenders who have already registered their candidacy, the ruling party had to revive the straw poll.

Party members are not required to vote for a nominee now.

That is necessary, because Yeh can never win that vote, said front-runner Fu Kun-cheng.

Fu, the veteran lawmaker, has overwhelming support of Kuomintang members in the county. But the party bans him from running.

He has been convicted of insider trading and sentenced to ten years in prison. The party does not allow any convicted member to run for a public office.

Four other hopefuls — Yang Wen-chih, Chang Chih-ming, Tsai Chi-ta and Tu li-hua — welcome Yeh's participation in the straw vote.

Yeh, who called a press conference to announce his resignation, promised he would support the winner of the straw poll, if he loses it.

But Chang, the incumbent deputy magistrate, said he would “run to the end” even if he loses the poll. He is ready to bolt the party, like the legislator.

Whether Yeh can win the straw vote is open to doubt.

If he does, just as the ruling party hopes, Yeh may face an uphill struggle.

Voters will go to the polls in December to elect 17 magistrates and mayors across the country.

With the two local heavyweights bolting the party, the Kuomintang's voter support in Hualien will be split three ways.

That gives the opposition party a chance to win. Su Jia-quan, a former minister of the interior, is expected to move into Hualien today in order to run for magistrate. He also served as magistrate of Pingtung and chairman of the Council of Agriculture.

Concentrating his attacks on Yeh for his desertion from the efforts against swine flu, Su is perceived now to have more than a 50-50 chance of getting elected as magistrate of Hualien.