Taiwan and Chang Chia-Juch

Chang Chia-Juch: Chang said he hoped his stepping down would stem the political blame-game in Taiwan, according to a statement posted on the Ministry of Economic Affairs website. Premier Jiang Yi-huah commended Changs response to the disaster in a statement late yesterday and said he hopes Chang will reconsider his decision, according to Bloomberg. Mayoral elections are scheduled to be held on Nov. 29 in cities across Taiwan, including Taipei and Kaohsiung. Student Protest Taiwan s economy minister Chang Chia-Juch offered his resignation yesterday, taking responsibility for gas explosions in southern Taiwans Kaohsiung city that killed at least 30 people. The Kaohsiung government has blamed a chemicals maker for the explosions and said on Aug. 6 that Changs ministry was responsible for regulating the pipelines that may have leaked gas. Four city officials resigned for failing to share information on pipeline usage, a spokesman confirmed, after a report in the Taipei-based China Times said the city had lied about its knowledge of underground pipelines. Mayor Chen Chu disputed those accusations yesterday, saying the issue was one of poor communication among government departments, not deceit. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.