Minister Yeh resigns

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.

1|2|Next Page>>

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos Respond to this email