A possible personnel reshuffle could be in store at the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) by the end of this month, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said yesterday.
Hsieh told reporters he learned of the potential reshuffle after making several phone calls to verify an allegation made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯). Hsieh did not specify his sources.
CHINESE REQUEST
The Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) yesterday quoted Tsai as saying that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications had replaced CAA Deputy Director-General Lin Shinn-der (林信得) — the nation’s primary negotiator on cross-strait flight issues — with Wang Te-ho (王德和), another CAA deputy director-general, at the request of China during negotiations in May.
The report quoted Tsai as saying that China had been dissatisfied with Lin, who headed two similar meetings in Xiamen in December last year, calling him “uncooperative.”
GIVING HAU A HAND
The story said Taiwan agreed to change the negotiator because the government was in a hurry to help Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) with his election campaign by making direct flights between Taipei’s Songshan Airport and Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport possible.
The story said officials from “high above” had asked the ministry to replace Lin and then CAA director-general Lee Long-wen (李龍文) allegedly told Lin to “take a break” and replaced him with Wang, who had never before participated in cross-strait negotiations.
Hsieh yesterday denied Tsai’s allegation and urged Tsai to present evidence to support his claim.
However, Hsieh said that as far as he knew, Lin had been replaced in preparation for a personnel reshuffle at the CAA following Lee’s resignation.
Lee stepped down on July 7, after Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport control center staff were accused by a lawmaker of unsuitable behavior that could have jeopardized the safety of air travelers.
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