Taiwan replaces all military commanders-in-chief

Feb 10, 2006, 12:21 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan Friday replaced the commanders-in-chief of the air force, navy and the army in an unprecedented major military reshuffle that drew criticism from opposition parliamentarians.

Gen Hu Chen-pu, director of the defence ministry's political warfare department, was named commander-in-chief of the army, while Admiral Lin Chen-yi, deputy chief of the general staff, was made to head the navy, according to a presidential statement released Friday.

Lt Gen Shen Kuo-chen, the air force deputy commander-in-chief, was appointed to head the air force, the statement said, adding the appointments were made by President Chen Shui-bian, who is also the leader of the Taiwanese armed forces.

The incumbents, Gen Chu Kai-sheng of the army, Adm Chen Pang-chih of the navy and Gen Liu Kuei-li will become the strategy advisers to the president, the statement said.

The new appointments, to come to effect on February 16, met with sharp criticism from the opposition parliamentarians, who claimed the replacement of all three commanders at the same time would affect normal military operations as it would take time for the new leaders to become familiar with their posts.

It is the first time in Taiwan's history all the three chief commanders have been replaced at the same time.

'It only shows that President Chen knows nothing about military operations,' said Lin Yu-fang, parliamentarian of the opposition People First Party, an expert in military affairs.

He said what Chen did indicated the island's leader wants to show that he is still in full control of the government and the military, despite a humiliating defeat of Chen's ruling Democratic Progressive Party in last December's local government polls.

The ruling party's serious election setback has been seen as a vote of no confidence in Chen for poor performance and corruption allegations plaguing his government in the past six years.