Shieh won’t stay as gov’t spokesman from Feb. 1

Earlier last week, Shieh announced his resignation in response to calls from some key members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party following a dramatic setback of the DPP in the Jan. 12 legislative elections. The DPP won only 27 seats in the new parliament, paling in comparison to the 81 seats grabbed by the main opposition Kuomintang.

Shieh was among three “controversial figures” who were deemed by some key DPP members as being to blame for the serious defeat in the elections. The other two are Education Minister Tu Cheng-sheng and his secretary general Chuang Kuo-jung.

Kaohsiung County Magistrate Yang Chiu-hsing recently criticized that as a government spokesman, Shieh shouldn’t act like a “clown,” referring to his clownish remarks and behavior seen before the elections.

In response to the criticism, Shieh offered to resign as soon as he returned to Taipei Friday from a trip abroad accompanying President Chen Shui-bian to Guatemala and St. Lucia.

Shieh said President Chen asked somebody to persuade him to stay on, with Lee Ying-yuan, secretary general of the DPP also calling for him to continue his role as government spokesman. “But from Feb. 1, I will not get involved in politics and the Cabinet. But I will stay in Taiwan, spending with all of my brothers and sisters.”

Meanwhile, Education Minister Tu Cheng-sheng will step down after all the Cabinet members are replaced on Jan. 28, and will return to his academic studies at the Academia Sinica.

Tu’s top aide Chuang Kuo-jung said he would return to the National Chengchi University to continue his teaching job there by the end of January.

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