ARMS PACKAGE TO CLEAR LEGISLATURE AFTER YEAR-END ELECTIONS: CHEN
ROC Central News Agency
2005-10-07 23:42:16
Taipei, Oct. 7 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Friday he believes that his administration's long-stalled arms procurement package can clear the legislature after the year-end "three-in-one" elections.
Chen made the optimistic forecast during an exclusive interview with Reuters Global Managing Editor David Schlesinger at the Presidential Office in Taipei.
For more than a year, the Chen administration's plan to procure three-big ticket items of weapons from the United States has been blocked by the opposition "pan-blue alliance" of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the People First Party (PFP) which controls a slim majority in the Legislative Yuan.
Chen attributed the "pan-blue alliance's" opposition to the package in part to its antagonism toward him and its attempt to curry favors from China.
Another reason is PFP Chairman James Soong's opposition, Chen claimed. According to Chen, Soong has threatened to push for the passage of a bill to force the KMT to return its ill-gotten party assets to national coffers if the KMT dares to soften its stance against the arms procurement package.
Chen said it is regrettable that the KMT puts its ill-gotten party assets above the arms package which he said is critical to Taiwan's defense and overall national interests.
As the KMT needs the PFP's support and cooperation in the run-up to the Dec. 3 "three-in-one" elections, Chen said he sees little chances for the package to clear the opposition-controlled legislature.
Nevertheless, he added that he believes the legislature would eventually begin to screen the package after the year-end elections.
The arms package includes eight diesel-electric submarines, a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft and six Patriot PAC-III anti-missile batteries.
(By Sofia Wu)
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