TAIPEI — Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te announced on April 10 that he had appointed Cho Jung-tai, a former chairman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), to be his premier.
The new premier and his Cabinet will not assume their roles until Lai is inaugurated on May 20.
Under Taiwan’s system of government, the president appoints the premier, who then appoints Cabinet members with final approval from the president. It is the Cabinet that enacts policy and proposes legislation.
Cho told reporters that he would announce his Cabinet members at a later date, adding that he would reach across party lines.
Lai, currently vice-president, won the presidential election in January, but the DPP lost its majority in Parliament.
Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, took the most seats but not enough to form a parliamentary majority on its own. The other seats were won by the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), led by former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je.
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