The Ministry of National Defense yesterday denied media reports that a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker intervened in the appointment of a high-level military officer, saying that the appointment would be made in accordance with regulations.
“The ministry strongly denies such allegations. Appointments of important military positions are done in accordance with regulations and the principle of fairness and justice,” it said in a news release.
The statement came a day after the Chinese-language Apple Daily reported that a DPP legislator representing a southern district had pressured the ministry into considering their favored candidate for the post of Army Aviation and Special Forces Command director.
The newspaper said that the ministry was forced to abandon its preferred candidate, and held an evaluation meeting last week to approve the lawmaker’s choice.
Reached for comment, three DPP legislators who were suspected of being the one who allegedly tried to intervene — Wang Ding-yu (王定宇), Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) and Chuang Ruei-hsiung (莊瑞雄) — denied any involvement.
Wang said the military promotes officers through a set procedure, by which the ministry recommends a candidate that has to be approved by the president.
“It is despicable that someone would try to affect the promotion prospects of a colleague and the president’s right to choose an appointee by spreading rumors about an undecided appointment,” Wang said, adding that he doubted that anyone would be able to lobby the president on the issue.
Liu issued a statement on Sunday night dismissing the allegations, and saying that she has never done “anything of that sort.”
She also demanded that the ministry investigate the alleged incident and called on the Apple Daily to reveal the source for its story.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday held a news conference to demand an explanation from Minister of National Defense Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) about the alleged incident.
As of press time last night, the minister had not responded.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance
RSS