Premier Frank Hsieh (
"Somebody has to pay for it, but Su needs to stay for more important jobs and assignments," Hsieh said.
He made his remarks in response to reporters' questions during a trip to Miaoli yesterday.
RETURN HOME MARRED
Su told People First Party (PFP) Legislator Lee Ching-hua (
Su had led the government's delegation to the installation of Pope Benedict XVI.
Lee had asked the minister what he thought of the request by some fellow lawmakers that the premier relieve him of his job.
Su immediately said he would take responsibility for what happened at the airport on Tuesday morning.
ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY
As the interior minister, Su oversees the police.
"As a superior official for my fellow police officers, I would apologize to the public on behalf of them and take responsibility," Su said.
"It is also the job of the police to track down those who violate the law no matter who they are," he said.
"My leaving the post would not be important, but maintaining public order cannot be interrupted," Su said.
"It is not his [Su's] fault and I will not blame him at all since he was representing the president at the pope's installation when the incident took place," the premier said. "He is not the person to be blamed."
"We cannot ask Su to take responsibility for everything," Hsieh stressed.
Hsieh said that the Aviation Police Bureau commissioner was the commander at the scene and therefore was the person who should take responsibility.
"We have to punish the right person," Hsieh said.
HSIEH'S WARNING
"Although the commissioner has been relieved, it is possible to relieve another commissioner if history repeats itself," he said.
Hsieh, however, refused to respond to reporters questions about Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Shih-chien's (王世堅) plans to protest at CKS International Airport when Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) returns on May 3.
Wang has been seen as Hsieh's protegee in the DPP.
Along with other DPP members, Wang led a crowd to the airport on Tuesday to protest Lien's trip to China.
Although Wang insists that members of his group were not carrying any dangerous items that could have been used to attack people, he is under investigation for violating the Assembly and Parade Law (
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS