Minister to quit over oil spill: aides

Aides to Taiwan Transport Minister Yeh Chu-lan yesterday confirmed she was planning to resign today to assume responsibility for a botched oil spill clean-up.

Ms Yeh, whose name was included on a list of officials to be reprimanded for the oil spill debacle, cancelled all scheduled public appearances and declined to answer telephone calls yesterday. But sources in the cabinet confirmed that Ms Yeh had told Premier Chang Chun-hsiung of her plans to submit her resignation this morning.

On Tuesday night, Ms Yeh was quoted as saying: 'This is not an issue of accepting or not accepting demerits. This is an issue of staying or going [from office].'

Mr Chang also declined to accept interviews yesterday, but aides said he was considering a minor cabinet shake-up before the May 20 first anniversary of President Chen Shui-bian's inauguration.

Ms Yeh's resignation, along with the expected cabinet reshuffle, was set to become the latest in a series of political headaches for Mr Chen.

Mr Chang's October 2000 decision to halt construction of a US$5.5 billion (HK$42.8 billion) nuclear power plant evoked angry protests from the legislature, where he was declared persona non grata until he agreed to resume construction of the controversial plant last month.