The Control Yuan yesterday issued a warning to the Ministry of Education (MOE) for failing to monitor its subordinate organizations, in a move targeted mainly at the education minister.
The warning was handed out in response to the ministry's negligence in requesting Minister of Education Ovid Tzeng (
According to Article 10 of the latter statute, employees of state-run education facilities are considered public officials, and as such must revoke the citizenship they hold of other countries.
Tzeng violated these regulations while serving at three posts with dual citizenship. Tzeng was dean of the College of Social Science of National Chung Cheng University between Aug. 1992 and 1997, Vice President at National Yang Ming University (YMU) between Aug. 1997 and June 1999 and President of YMU between June 1999 and May this year.
Because Tzeng had been in violation of the regulation for such a long time, the MOE was made to assume legal responsibility for the matter. The ministry was found to have failed to investigate the personal backgrounds of its administrators and employed an unqualified individual to take office at the schools, said Lin Shih-chi (林時機), a member of the Control Yuan.
Having realized Tzeng was serving in violation of the regulation, the MOE reportedly sent several notices to Tzeng, pressing him to revoke his US citizenship.
Tzeng apparently ignored the requests and the MOE did not follow up on the matter or resort to disciplinary action, which it should have done, Lin said.
"Even after the National Law was revised in February of this year to state that only those with approval from their supervisors can hold dual citizenship and serve as president of a national university, Tzeng never applied for approval from his supervisor. The MOE should have come down on Tzeng then," Lin said.
"We reached an agreement to release a warning to the MOE, asking the organization not to commit the same mistake in the future. Otherwise, the education minister will have to be punished in accordance with the law," Control Yuan member Li Shen-yi (李伸一) said.
Opponents of the impeachment effort say the Control Yuan members were elected by the old government, and that the impeachment was intended merely to embarrass the new government.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist