TAIPEI: Department of Health chief Yeh Ching-chuan resigned yesterday, in preparation for a bid to run for the Hualien county commissionership in the year-end election.

At a press conference, Yeh said he's felt a strong pull drawing him back to Hualien for a long time. "I'm going home," he said.

A devout Buddhist, Taipei-born Yeh taught at Tzu Chi University in Hualien for 10 years. The university was founded by the eponymous Buddhist foundation, and observers believe those roots will prove a great asset to Yeh's run for the commissionership.

What stood out in Taiwan public's memory was Yeh's performance during the 2003 SARS epidemic. A Tzu Chi professor at the time, he rushed to the sealed Ho-Ping Hospital to investigate amid the height of public panic. He has been hailed a "SARS hero" since.

"I took the post during an emergency. Now the mission is accomplished," he said. "Taiwan has a sound system to deal with the new H1N1 flu epidemic ... Please understand my decision," he said.

Declaring he will serve the public better in Hualien, Yeh said his top concern is "not letting corrupt people be elected".

Yeh will contend with five other (Kuomintang) KMT candidates in a primary before earning the KMT's nomination. Some of those candidates say they will run with or without party support.

Yeh's entrance into the race is seen a key manuveur to overhaul the party by Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou, who will double as KMT chairman beginning in September. Ma has vowed that he'd rather see the party lose elections than nominate candidates who have shady histories. With Yeh's clean image and stellar record, there are high hopes he can win the election, boosting confidence in Ma's ability to consolidate power within the KMT.

Yeh does not leave his position entirely unscathed. His leaving office amid a public health crisis, the A (H1N1) flu outbreak, has drawn attacks from critics, who accuse Yeh of fleeing the battlefield to give priority to party interests over public health.

"Premier" Liu Chao-shiuan, who approved Yeh's resignation yesterday, urged people to look at Yeh's decision in a more positive light.

The Department of Health is made up of a complete, capable team, he said. The epidemic control work will not be affected by its chief's resignation, Liu said.

There's no reason to believe the timing of Yeh's resignation and the onset of the H1N1 flu epidemic was not more than a coincidence, he added.

Asia University vice president Yang Chih-liang, who's also the deputy convener of a Department of Health panel on a long-term care insurance scheme, is widely tipped as Yeh's successor.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 08/04/2009 page2)