ARMS PROCUREMENT PACKAGE BLOCKED FOR 31ST TIME IN LEGISLATURE
ROC Central News Agency
2005-10-04 19:44:23
Taipei, Oct. 4 (CNA) Opposition "pan-blue alliance" lawmakers of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the People First Party (PFP) used their slim majority in the Legislative Yuan to block the Executive Yuan's arms procurement package from being put on the legislative agenda for the 31st time Tuesday.
The package contains three big-ticket items, including eight diesel-electric submarines, six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries and a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft.
Also blocked were confirmation of President Chen Shui-bian's nominations for Control Yuan members and two bills drafted by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its " pan-green" camp ally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) , concerning ill-gotten political party assets.
But the Procedure Committee put the draft National Communications Commission (NCC) bill on the top of the agenda of the legislature's next meeting.
The controversial NCC may soon face a vote as a mandatory four-month consultation period among various parties has expired.
At stake is the composition of the commission; the opposition parties want the NCC to be comprised of members in proportion to the number of seats each party holds in the legislature, while the DPP insists that political parties should keep their hands off and let experts and scholars serve on the commission, so that media freedoms will not be affected.
Several "pan-blue alliance"-initiated bills were put on the agenda.
These include the cross-strait peace promotion bill, condemnation of Premier Frank Hsieh, the 319 "truth investigation commission," the draft Central Election Commission organic law and draft amendment to the court organic law.
A draft anti-aggression peace bill proposed by the legislative caucus of Taiwan Solidarity Union was also put on the agenda.
(By Lilian Wu)
enditem/mw
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