High-ranking officials said yesterday that Premier Tang Fei (
"Premier Tang says he absolutely respects the Legislative Yuan's decisions, including interpellation procedures," said Vice Premier Yu Shyi-kun.
"However, we earnestly request the Legislative Yuan to consider the `human element' and to allow Tang more time to recover [from recent surgery]," Yu said.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES.
Representing the Cabinet, Minister Without Portfolio Chang Yu-hui (
Tang attended the new Cabinet's first official meeting yesterday, which passed a proposal to reorganize the 921 post-quake reconstruction committee into a formal department of the government.
In addition, the Cabinet meeting also approved the "Anti-black gold center" proposal for central, northern and southern Taiwan, "which will be formed as task forces to investigate some particular or important cases," said Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南).
Tang appeared in good physical condition, smiling to media while having his lunch with other Cabinet members and said that he was looking forward to working with the Cabinet.
However, he returned to the Veterans General Hospital after the meeting and did not participate personally in the welcoming tea party. Tang delivered a video recorded speech to Cabinet members and media.
The new premier underwent surgery April 15 to remove a benign tumor from his chest. The wound later became infected, forcing him to return to hospital on May 3.
Tang's doctor suggested that the premier's condition would only permit him to stay in his office for half a day every other day until late June.
His doctor said Tang should not spend more than eight hours per day at the Legislative Yuan to accept an interpellation session by lawmakers before July.
The KMT legislative caucus came out on Tuesday urging Tang to resign immediately because, they said, the premier was physically incapable of facing the challenge of political affairs.
"Let Tang go and do not murder him," KMT lawmaker Chen Chin-pao (
Some KMT lawmakers, however, have expressed support for giving Tang one month to recuperate before assuming his full duties, as the DPP, the New Party and the PFP caucuses have done.
Negotiations between parties' legislative caucuses will decide on May 29 how the interpellation will be conducted and when it will begin.
Director of the Government Information Office Chung Chin (
"But, if we want the Premier to take on more duties, it would be best to first give him a couple of days to recover," Chung said.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake and several aftershocks battered southern Taiwan early this morning, causing houses and roads to collapse and leaving dozens injured and 50 people isolated in their village. A total of 26 people were reported injured and sent to hospitals due to the earthquake as of late this morning, according to the latest Ministry of Health and Welfare figures. In Sising Village (西興) of Chiayi County's Dapu Township (大埔), the location of the quake's epicenter, severe damage was seen and roads entering the village were blocked, isolating about 50 villagers. Another eight people who were originally trapped inside buildings in Tainan
CLASH OF WORDS: While China’s foreign minister insisted the US play a constructive role with China, Rubio stressed Washington’s commitment to its allies in the region The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday affirmed and welcomed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio statements expressing the US’ “serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan” and aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, in a telephone call with his Chinese counterpart. The ministry in a news release yesterday also said that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had stated many fallacies about Taiwan in the call. “We solemnly emphasize again that our country and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and it has been an objective fact for a long time, as well as
‘ARMED GROUP’: Two defendants used Chinese funds to form the ‘Republic of China Taiwan Military Government,’ posing a threat to national security, prosecutors said A retired lieutenant general has been charged after using funds from China to recruit military personnel for an “armed” group that would assist invading Chinese forces, prosecutors said yesterday. The retired officer, Kao An-kuo (高安國), was among six people indicted for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法), the High Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement. The group visited China multiple times, separately and together, from 2018 to last year, where they met Chinese military intelligence personnel for instructions and funding “to initiate and develop organizations for China,” prosecutors said. Their actions posed a “serious threat” to “national security and social stability,” the statement
‘CHARM OFFENSIVE’: Beijing has been sending senior Chinese officials to Okinawa as part of efforts to influence public opinion against the US, the ‘Telegraph’ reported Beijing is believed to be sowing divisions in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture to better facilitate an invasion of Taiwan, British newspaper the Telegraph reported on Saturday. Less than 750km from Taiwan, Okinawa hosts nearly 30,000 US troops who would likely “play a pivotal role should Beijing order the invasion of Taiwan,” it wrote. To prevent US intervention in an invasion, China is carrying out a “silent invasion” of Okinawa by stoking the flames of discontent among locals toward the US presence in the prefecture, it said. Beijing is also allegedly funding separatists in the region, including Chosuke Yara, the head of the Ryukyu Independence
RSS