Breaking from their previous tough stance on the issue, the KMT and other opposition party legislators showed support yesterday for delaying interpellation procedures for Premier Tang Fei (唐飛), who is still recovering from surgery.
"Many members of our caucus will make allowance for Tang's heath condition. We want to reconsider postponing the question-and-answer session," said KMT caucus leader Tseng Yun-chung (曾永).
Last Tuesday, the KMT announced a resolution stating that Tang should accept interpellation on June 2 as previously scheduled or resign immediately.
The Executive Yuan yesterday morning notified the Legislative Yuan that Tang will make his policy report, as well as accept the question-and-answer session in accordance with lawmakers' request on June 2.
However Tang's doctors, who were invited to informally brief legislators on Tang's physical condition, said that Tang needs six more weeks to recover completely.
"We estimate that Premier Tang's bone cannot be healed until late June. And if he has sufficient rest, he will be able to bear the interpellation procedure in July, but only for seven hours a day," said Chang Mao-song (
"Premier Tang does not need to undergo another surgical operation and the infection did not spread to his bone marrow," said Huang Min-hsiung (
Political parties in the Legislative Yuan yesterday negotiated to decide the schedule and mode for interpellating the new Cabinet.
After the negotiation, KMT legislator and Legislative Speaker Wang Chin-pyng (
Opposition party leaders requested that Tang's doctors brief the legislature on Tang's condition every week in the future, which Chang Mao-song agreed to.
"Any remark urging Tang to resign made by our caucus members was only personal opinion," said Liu Wen-hsiung (
DPP lawmakers said that opposition parties do not want to be criticized for being insensitive to Tang's condition nor do they wish to take responsibility for grilling Tang, especially if something should happen to Tang during the interpellation procedures.
"Tang has strong public support, it is not clever to push Tang too much," said Cheng Pao-chin (
Tang underwent surgery in mid-April to remove a benign tumor from his chest, and returned to hospital to cure an infection to the wound on May 3. Doctors have requested Tang work at his office for only half a day every other day until late June.
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