CABINET RESHUFFLE IN HOPE OF SMOOTH EXECUTIVE OPERATION|內閣4部會首長異動 林揆:盼運作更順暢

The Executive Yuan has announced a partial cabinet reshuffle. The new ministers are Lin Tsung-hsien for Minister of Agriculture, Lin Mei-chu for Minister of Labor, Chen Shih-chung for Minister of Health and Welfare, and Chen Liang-chi for Minister of Science and Technology. Premier Lin Chuan says that no further changes to the cabinet are currently planned, and that he hopes that this reshuffle will help the executive branch operate more smoothly. The Executive Yuan held a press conference on February 3rd to announce a cabinet reshuffle. Yilan County Magistrate Lin Tsung-hsien will take over as Minister of Agriculture, Minister without Portfolio Lin Mei-chu will take over as Minister of Labor, former Vice Minister of Health Chen Shih-chung will take over as Minister of Health and Welfare, and Vice Minister of Education Chen Liang-chi will take over as Minister of Science and Technology. ==LIN CHUAN Premier== The adjustment is complete, and is based on a review of our current work. The hope is that this adjustment will allow the cabinet to operate more smoothly. Political scholars say that the aim of this cabinet reshuffle is to revive the government's sagging poll numbers. ==PROF. SHIH CHENG-FENG Dept. of Indigenous Affairs and Ethno-Development, NDHU== Appointing her cousin (Lin Mei-chu) means that Tsai Ing-wen is putting the Ministry of Labor under her direct control. Labor was one area where the government's policies were highly controversial, so in her (Tsai's) view this is a tumor that must be removed as soon as possible. ==FAN SHIH-PING Graduate Inst. of Political Science Prof., NTNU== They couldn't stop the bleeding immediately, so really this reshuffle is coming too late. Rumors had spread that Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chu, a major player of the DPP's New Tide faction, would take over as Premier early this year, but this was only a minor reshuffle. Professor Shih believes that this reflects factional struggle within the DPP. ==SHIH CHENG-FENG Donghua Univ. Dept. of Indigenous Affairs and Ethno-Development Prof.== This is a rebuff to New Tide. There are now many voices within the party saying that New Tide deserves to share power. If not (Tainan mayor) William Lai, then at least Chen Chu. Now it seems that not even Chen Chu will be given this position. This shows a level of tension, but so far New Tide has not yet broken through. Eight months into Tsai's term, the hope is that this reshuffle will bring government policy closer to public expectation. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 行政院昨天晚上宣布內閣微調名單，農委會主委林聰賢、勞動部長林美珠、衛福部長陳時中、與科技部長陳良基。行政院長林全表示目前沒有規劃下波內閣調整，希望這次閣員的調整能讓行政團隊運作起來更順暢。 行政院昨天晚上六點半臨時舉行記者會，宣布內閣調整，農委會主委由宜蘭縣長林聰賢接任，勞動部長由政務委員林美珠轉任，衛福部長由前衛生署副署長陳時中接任，科技部長由教育部政務次長陳良基接任。 ==行政院長 林全== 我們已經調整完了 就是已經檢討過目前的情況 我們是希望這樣調整 能夠讓我們團隊 運作起來更順暢 有政治學者分析之前政府多項政策引發民眾不滿，這次內閣調整就是要救民調。 ==東華大學民族發展與社會工作學系教授 施正鋒== 其實她表姊(林美珠)去就是 就是蔡英文自己直接 直接掌管了勞動部 等於是說 這是第一個就是說 比較爭議性比較大的 她認為說必須馬上把那些瘤 把它割掉的 ==師大政治所教授 范世平== 他沒有辦法達到當時 即時止血的效果 那現在才換事實上步調是太慢了 另外原本之前就傳出民進黨新潮流系的高雄市長陳菊，有可能在今年初接任行政院長，但這次內閣只有微調，施正鋒認為這反映出，目前民進黨內的派系對立現象。 ==東華大學民族發展與社會工作學系教授 施正鋒== 其實她是擋住了新潮流 也就是說目前很多呼聲 就是新潮流要來分享權力 那是不是 這個賴清德如果是比較難的話 那就至少陳菊 那現在連陳菊都沒有 所以表示說這邊是還蠻緊張的 但是至少擋住了 蔡政府上任八個多月，內閣微調能否讓行政團隊的表現更貼近民意的期盼，也是全國人民的希望。 記者 綜合報導