High-ranking officials said yesterday that Premier Tang Fei (
"Premier Tang says he absolutely respects the Legislative Yuan's decisions, including interpellation procedures," said Vice Premier Yu Shyi-kun.
"However, we earnestly request the Legislative Yuan to consider the `human element' and to allow Tang more time to recover [from recent surgery]," Yu said.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES.
Representing the Cabinet, Minister Without Portfolio Chang Yu-hui (
Tang attended the new Cabinet's first official meeting yesterday, which passed a proposal to reorganize the 921 post-quake reconstruction committee into a formal department of the government.
In addition, the Cabinet meeting also approved the "Anti-black gold center" proposal for central, northern and southern Taiwan, "which will be formed as task forces to investigate some particular or important cases," said Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南).
Tang appeared in good physical condition, smiling to media while having his lunch with other Cabinet members and said that he was looking forward to working with the Cabinet.
However, he returned to the Veterans General Hospital after the meeting and did not participate personally in the welcoming tea party. Tang delivered a video recorded speech to Cabinet members and media.
The new premier underwent surgery April 15 to remove a benign tumor from his chest. The wound later became infected, forcing him to return to hospital on May 3.
Tang's doctor suggested that the premier's condition would only permit him to stay in his office for half a day every other day until late June.
His doctor said Tang should not spend more than eight hours per day at the Legislative Yuan to accept an interpellation session by lawmakers before July.
The KMT legislative caucus came out on Tuesday urging Tang to resign immediately because, they said, the premier was physically incapable of facing the challenge of political affairs.
"Let Tang go and do not murder him," KMT lawmaker Chen Chin-pao (
Some KMT lawmakers, however, have expressed support for giving Tang one month to recuperate before assuming his full duties, as the DPP, the New Party and the PFP caucuses have done.
Negotiations between parties' legislative caucuses will decide on May 29 how the interpellation will be conducted and when it will begin.
Director of the Government Information Office Chung Chin (
"But, if we want the Premier to take on more duties, it would be best to first give him a couple of days to recover," Chung said.
DETERRENCE: With 1,000 indigenous Hsiung Feng II and III missiles and 400 Harpoon missiles, the nation would boast the highest anti-ship missile density in the world With Taiwan wrapping up mass production of Hsiung Feng II and III missiles by December and an influx of Harpoon missiles from the US, Taiwan would have the highest density of anti-ship missiles in the world, a source said yesterday. Taiwan is to wrap up mass production of the indigenous anti-ship missiles by the end of year, as the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has been meeting production targets ahead of schedule, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said. Combined with the 400 Harpoon anti-ship missiles Taiwan expects to receive from the US by 2028, the nation would have
POSSIBILITIES EMERGE: With Taiwan’s victory and Japan’s narrow win over Australia, Taiwan now have a chance to advance if South Korea also beat the Aussies Taiwan has high hopes that the national baseball team would advance to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) quarter-finals after clinching a crucial 5-4 victory over South Korea in a nail-biting extra-inning game at the Tokyo Dome yesterday. Boosted by three home runs — two solo shots by Yu Chang (張育成) and Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) and a two-run homer by Stuart Fairchild — the triumph gave Taiwan a much-needed second victory in the five-team Pool C, where only the top two finishers would advance to the knockout stage in Miami, Florida. Entering extra innings with the game tied at four apiece, Taiwan scored
MISSION OF PEACE: The foreign minister urged Beijing to respect Taiwan’s existence as an independent nation, and work together to ensure peace and stability in the region Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday rejected Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi’s (王毅) comments about Taiwan, criticizing China as a “troublemaker” in the international community and a disruptor of cross-strait peace. Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Chinese National People’s Congress, Wang said that Taiwan has always been a territory of China and that it would be impossible for it to become its own country. The “return” of Taiwan to China was the natural outcome of the Chinese people’s resistance against Japan in World War II, and that any pursuit of independence was “doomed
‘UNWAVERING FRIENDSHIP’: A representative of a Japanese group that co-organized a memorial, said he hopes Japanese never forget Taiwan’s kindness President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, urging continued cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on disaster prevention and humanitarian assistance. Lai wrote on social media that Taiwan and Japan have always helped each other in the aftermath of major disasters. The magnitude 9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a massive tsunami that claimed more than 19,000 lives, according to data from Japanese authorities. Following the disaster, Taiwan donated more than US$240 million in aid, making it one of the largest contributors of financial assistance to Japan. In addition to cash donations and
RSS