Yeh said earlier he was considering a run, but only if the ruling Kuomintang selected him without holding primaries. His statement elicited criticisms from local politicians hoping to run themselves that Yeh was trying to get the job without making an effort. The minister said he only wanted to avoid dividing the party.

On Saturday, KMT Secretary General Wu Den-yih announced the partial overturning of the earlier decision not to hold primaries. Under the latest formula, voting by party members will not go ahead, but the candidates will still face opinion polls. The result would be announced before September 12, Wu said.

As to the health minister, Yeh would announce his choice between his Cabinet position and the election race within two days, reports said Sunday.

Yeh is known as a confidant of President Ma Ying-jeou. The health chief gained high marks in opinion polls for his past performance during the SARS epidemic and during last year’s handling of melamine-tainted Chinese dairy products.

However, critics have lashed out at the timing of his apparent plans to run for Hualien County Magistrate, saying it was not the right time to leave the Department of Health as Taiwan was bracing for the onslaught of the A (H1N1) swine flu virus. The country recorded its first death of the virus last Thursday, while a total of 12 community outbreaks have been recorded.

Officials predict the spread of the virus might worsen as Taiwan heads into the winter, while academics recently questioned the safety of anti-flu medicine under preparation by a local manufacturer.

Yeh’s successor as DOH minister could be Yang Chih-liang, a University of Michigan trained former vice minister, reports said. Yang told reporters Sunday he hadn’t been asked for the job and he hoped Yeh could continue.

If Yeh competes in the opinion polls for KMT candidate, he is likely to face at least four candidates with local roots, including the speaker of the Hualien County Council, the current vice magistrate, and the mayor of Hualien City. KMT lawmaker Fu Kun-chi is widely believed to be Yeh’s strongest rival, but the party is still to announce whether Fu’s candidacy is acceptable or not because of his alleged involvement in financial scandals.