AIT CHIEF TO TALK WITH KEY LAWMAKERS OVER ARMS PURCHASE BILL
Central News Agency
2005-05-24 20:35:52
Taipei, May 24 (CNA) The United States' top envoy has invited three conveners of the Legislative Yuan's Defense Committee to a meeting to discuss Taiwan's arms purchase bill, which again failed to be put on the legislative agenda Tuesday.
Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) convener Lu Shiow-yen said People First Party's (PFP) Lin Yu-fang, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP's) Lee Wen-chung and herself have been invited by American Institute in Taiwan Director Douglas Paal for a gathering in early June.
The government has budgeted NT$480 billion (US$15.3 billion) over 15 years to buy submarines, anti-missile batteries and anti-submarine planes from the U.S. However, the arms purchase bill has been blocked at the Legislative Yuan by the KMT and PFP.
Lee said he is willing to meet with Paal if the meeting is aimed at lobbying for the legislative support of the bill.
A legislator's meeting with U.S. weapons manufacturers would also be permissible as long as it takes place at a public hearing, Lee said, adding that the media should "focus on whether there is any collusion or an under-the-table deal between them."
Lu said she will attend the meeting "if my electorate has confidence in my integrity" and the topics to be discussed are not too controversial. "We need not be hostile" toward the U.S., whose ideas and attitudes should be made known to the people of Taiwan, who up to now have been "scared by the government and the military, " which she claimed are the only sources of information about purchasing these big-ticket items from the U.S.
Lin said he declined Paal's invitation because he wants to "avoid any suspicions."
(By S.C. Chang)
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