With Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) set to leave office, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday called on him to appoint the members of the National Communications Commission (NCC) before he departs.
"Although he is to lead the Cabinet in a mass resignation on Monday, he must do whatever he needs to do before leaving, including appointing the 12 NCC members in accordance with the law," KMT caucus whip Pan Wei-kang (潘維剛) said.
The Organic Law of the National Communications Commission (
The legislature last Thursday voted on the 13 NCC nominees, confirming 12 and rejecting one recommended by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
While the Executive Yuan did not receive the NCC nominations from the legislature until Monday, it is not too late for the premier to make the appointment by next Thursday.
The DPP caucus has said it will soon recommend two candidates to the review committee to fill the vacancy left by Lu Chung-chin (
Pan yesterday made the call in response to a remark by Cabinet Spokesman Cho Jung-tai (
Cho said President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) would be consulted on the appointment of NCC members because it would be inappropriate for a caretaker Cabinet to make such a major decision.
The spokesman said it would be left to the new premier to decide whether to request a constitutional interpretation from the Council of Grand Justices on the NCC's composition.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
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A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it