New interior minister, Cabinet secretary-general named: KMT sources

Taipei, Jan. 28 (CNA)
Two ranking members of the Kuomintang have been named as interior minister and Cabinet secretary-general, sources within the party said Saturday.

Lee Hong-yuan, head of the Public Construction Commission, has been tapped as interior minister, while KMT Policy Committee head Lin Yi-shih has been selected as secretary-general of the new Cabinet, the sources said.

Both Lin and Lee declined to comment on the report.

Lin, who lost his bid in the Jan. 14 elections to secure a fifth term as a Kaohsiung City legislator, is an experienced lawmaker and coordinator, the sources said.

With his experience, he should be able to adjust quickly in the new Cabinet and help strengthen coordination among government agencies, the KMT sources said.

The sources said that Lee, previously a professor at National Taiwan University's Department of Civil Engineering, has expertise in land planning and disaster prevention.

He has held positions such as Water Resources Agency director under the Taiwan Provincial Government (TPG) and deputy magistrate of New Taipei City.

The current Cabinet will be dissolved on Jan. 31 and the new one will be formed the same day. Vice Premier Sean Chen will head the new Cabinet, and Interior Minister Jiang Yi-huah will take Chen's place.

(By Lee Shu-hua and C.J. Lin)
Enditem /pc