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PRESIDENT QUESTIONS RATIONALE BEHIND OPPOSITION TO ARMS PACKAGE

ROC Central News Agency

2005-09-25 22:11:12

    Santo Domingo, Sept. 24 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said in Santo Domingo Saturday he is hopeful that the opposition "pan-blue alliance" of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the People First Party (PFP) can stop its stonewalling of a long-stalled arms procurement package from being debated in the legislature.

    Speaking with a group of Taiwan journalists covering his current five-nation diplomatic tour, Chen said the plan to purchase three big-ticket weaponry systems from the United States was fleshed out during the previous KMT administration. "It's hard to imagine why the KMT would boycott the bill to such an extent as to the bill cannot even make the legislative agenda for more than a year, " Chen said in an informal meeting with Taiwan journalists.

    During his transit stop in Miami, Florida en route to Guatemala before coming to the Dominican Republic, Chen recalled that he talked with an influential U.S. congressional leader by phone. "The congressional leader told me that he will meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and they will send a joint letter to KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou to seek Ma's support for the arms procurement package," Chen said.

    According to Chen, he had advised the U.S. congressional leader to also write to PFP Chairman James Soong because Soong has played a key role to block the package from being placed onto the legislative agenda for discussion and deliberation.

    Chen claimed that Taiwan's opposition leaders have been stonewalling the arms procurement package to curry favors with Beijing.

    The arms procurement package comprises three big-ticket items -- eight diesel-electric submarines, six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries and a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft.

    In 1998, Chen said, the then-KMT administration asked the United States to sell Taiwan Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries and the U.S. government approved the request in 1999. "At that time, I have not yet assumed the presidency. After I took the presidency in 2000, my administration began to prepare a budget bill for the procurement project in line with the principle of policy continuity," Chen said.

    As to the submarine procurement plan, Chen said, it was determined during a 1994 meeting between then-KMT government and U.S. military authorities.

    Now that Taiwan has become a full-fledged democracy, Chen said any major policy initiative can be put forward for open debate and discussion, including the arms procurement project.

    Against this backdrop, Chen said, it is unthinkable that the opposition "pan-blue alliance" has used its slim majority in the Legislative Yuan to completely obstruct any discussion or debate on the package.

    In the face of China's mounting military threat, Chen said he earnestly hopes that the "pan-blue alliance" can allow the package to be placed on the legislative agenda for discussion and deliberation. "If lawmakers think that the procurement cost is unreasonably high as some claimed, my administration would respect legislators' opinions or recommendations after a rational debate and extensive discussion," he added.

    Chen arrived in the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo Friday from Guatemala for a two-day state visit. His current five-nation diplomatic tour will also take him to Nicaragua, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

(By S.J. Tsai and Sofia Wu)

ENDITEM