National Security Bureau (NSB) Director Tsai Der-sheng (蔡得勝) yesterday backed a proposal to move the Presidential Office.
“I have always thought that the Presidential Office, as well as the president’s official residence, should be moved to safer places,” Tsai said in response to a suggestion from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) during a legislative meeting.
The bureau should seriously consider relocating the office to Dazhi District (大直), which is home to one of the military’s most important bases, Lin said.
The government made plans as long ago as 1992 to move the Presidential Office to Dazhi, but the Ministry of National Defense ended up constructing the new Air Force Command Headquarters there.
Dazhi was a good choice, but there might not be enough space for the Presidential Office now that the air force is there, Tsai said.
However, Lin said that since the ministry will launch a streamlining project next year, it may not need as much space as it does now, making the relocation feasible.
The idea of relocating the Presidential Office has gained renewed traction over the past month, in the wake of the Jan. 25 incident at the Presidential Office Building when truck driver Chang Te-cheng (張德正) allegedly drove his vehicle past barriers and up the front steps of the building before being stopped by a bulletproof gate.
Since the incident the bureau has met six times to review presidential security measures, Tsai said.
Several lapses have been identified, including a lack of advance warning, insufficient ability to block an intrusion and failures in coordination, he said.
Chang was indicted on Thursday last week on charges of attempted murder and four other counts, including causing damage to a historic building.
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