Taiwan 'combat Cabinet' chosen

Chen is expected to name his chief of staff Yu Shyi-kun as the next premier

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's president has chosen a new premier to lead a "combat Cabinet" that will help him face what is expected to be the most crucial period of his presidency.

The reshuffle promoted presidential aide Yu Shyi-kun to premier, the island's third-top ranking leader.

Taiwan's cabinet had resigned en masse earlier Monday to pave the way for the post-election cabinet reshuffle.

Yu replaced Chang Chun-hsiung, a former lawmaker who held the job for more than a year as the economy slipped into recession for the first time in decades.

President Chen Shui-bian praised Chang for playing an "irreplaceable role," but the president told reporters that he needed a fresh team for the challenges ahead.

"I hope the new Cabinet can bring new opportunity for good political development and rational relations with the opposition," Chen said.

Yu will form a new cabinet after consulting Chen. Several members of the outgoing cabinet are expected to be retained, media said.

In Taiwan's political system, similar to the French, the president is the head of state and armed forces chief, and appoints the premier who heads the cabinet and runs day-to-day affairs of government.

It was unclear how China, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province, will react to the reshuffle.

Stormy period

The premier's main job is managing the Cabinet and selling the government's policy proposals to the unruly legislature. Although the premier ranks behind the vice president, the premier's exhausting and high-profile job is arguably more important.

The 53-year-old Yu, who has served as secretary-general for the president, has a reputation for being politically astute and closer to the president than Chang.

Chang took over as premier during the stormiest period of Chen's presidency. The president's first choice for the job, former Defense Minister Tang Fei, resigned months after being appointed amid a battle over whether a partially built nuclear plant should be finished.

The portly Chang has been a loyal premier and has made few mistakes, but the president apparently wants to pick a new team as he heads into the second half of his term -- a period that will likely determine whether he's re-elected in 2004.

Taiwan's economy is mired in its first recession in decades and the president's Democratic Progressive Party -- although the biggest party in the legislature -- lacks a majority in the lawmaking body.