Army chief to remain in post: MND
ROC Central News Agency
2013/08/09 20:25:11
Taipei, Aug. 9 (CNA) Army commander Gen. Lee Hsiang-chou will stay on the job after expressing his desire to retire from military service, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Friday.
MND spokesman Luo Shou-he confirmed that Defense Minister Yen Ming asked Lee to remain in his post to continue helping with the military's buildup programs and combat preparedness.
Luo confirmed that Lee has twice sought to leave his post since an Army conscript died in military confinement under suspicious circumstances early last month.
Lee first tendered his resignation to then-Defense Minister Kao Hua-chu on July 16 to take the blame for Army Corporal Hung Chung-chiu's death, which Kao rejected, Luo said at a news conference.
On Friday, Lee filed for retirement from the military with the MND, Luo said.
Luo's remarks came after the United Evening News (UEN) said in a front-page report Friday that Lee had informed President Ma Ying-jeou of his intention to resign from his post as the Army commanding general.
Quoting unidentified sources, the paper further said Lee also wanted to retire from military service.
At first, the MND denied the UEN report via a text message, saying of Lee's reported offer to the president to resign, 'this is absolutely not the case.'
But it later called a news conference to brief the media on Lee's intentions and Yen's decision to ask Lee to stay on the job.
Luo said that under current regulations, no senior military officers would present their resignation or retirement plans to the president.
'They file retirement applications with the MND, and the ministry presents them to the president for review only after approving them,' Luo said.
According to Luo, Yen, an Air Force three-star general, has informed Ma of his request to retain Lee in the top Army position.
Under current regulations, three-star generals like Lee must retire when they turn 64.
'There is still a period of time before Lee reaches his mandatory retirement age,' Luo said.
Military sources said Lee, 61, told the MND of his retirement plans on Thursday and submitted a written application Friday.
Speculation has been rife that Lee was a victim of infighting within the military, and that the administrative reprimand he was given in the wake of Hung's death was designed to hold back his further advancement.
According to military precedent, Lee stood a good opportunity to assume the post of chief of the general staff, but that prospect dimmed in the wake of Hung's death.
Adm. Kao Kuang-chi, previously a deputy defense minister, assumed the post Thursday when Yen, the previous holder of the post, took over the MND's helm.
In an apparent effort to stabilize Army morale and stem speculation about infighting in the military, the MND said Army veteran Gen. Yen Teh-fa, an executive deputy chief of the General Staff, was tapped to fill the position vacated by Kao.
Yen Teh-fa's new appointment will take effect Aug. 16, the ministry added.
Hung's death dealt a severe blow to the Army, with dozens of officers receiving administrative reprimands and 18 of them being indicted by military prosecutors on charges related to Hung's case.
Kao also stepped down as defense minister Aug. 1 to assume political responsibility for the incident.
(By Rogge Chen and Sofia Wu)
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