LEGISLATURE CONTINUES TO REJECT ARMS PROCUREMENT BILL
ROC Central News Agency
2005-09-06 13:21:26
Taipei, Sept. 6 (CNA) The opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan continued to stonewall a long-stalled arms procurement package Tuesday, with the legislative procedure committee refusing to put it on the legislative agenda.
The legislative caucus of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said it is regrettable that the opposition pan-blue alliance-controlled procedure committee still blocked the bill even after the Cabinet had made a goodwill response to some opposition lawmakers' suggestion that part of the procurement package be financed by the regular defense budget to allow for closer legislative scrutiny.
The package comprises three big-ticket weaponry items -- eight diesel-electric submarines, a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft and six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries. For more than a year, the opposition "pan-blue alliance" of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the People First Party (PFP) has declined to screen the package for various reasons.
Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng, a KMT heavyweight, said recently he thinks that the legislature should begin to deal with the arms procurement bill when the new legislative session formally opens Sept. 13. However, most KMT and PFP lawmakers seemed not to see eye to eye with Wang on the issue.
(By Sofia Wu)
enditem/Li
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