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PFP LAWMAKER SLAMS MND POLL ON MAJOR ARMS PROCUREMENT PACKAGE

ROC Central News Agency

2005-11-15 20:35:11

    Taipei, Nov. 15 (CNA) An opposition People First Party (PFP) lawmaker blasted Tuesday the Ministry of National Defense (MND) for revealing survey results regarding a major arms procurement package, calling it a political maneuver aimed at swaying public opinion to back the issue.

    PFP Legislator Chang Hsien-yao, who is also the party's policy center chief, made the comment after the MND published the survey results earlier that day showing that 47.6 percent of the survey respondents are in favor of the package and that nearly 70 percent agree that the long-deadlocked arms procurement bill should be put to screening at the Legislative Yuan.

    Claiming that the MND survey results show sharp differences from those of a poll carried out last month by the PFP, Chang said that the PFP survey shows that 55 percent of the respondents are opposed to the major weapons purchase package because a March 20, 2004 referendum already vetoed the MND plan to purchase the six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries.

    Chang accused the MND of interfering in politics by staging the opinion poll and he demanded that the ministry come up with a "more professional" assessment and greater policy transparency to gain public support.

    The major arms procurement bill has been rejected more than 30 times in the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan since the middle of last year. The bill proposes buying eight diesel-electric submarines, six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries and 12 P-3C Orion anti-submarine airplanes from the United States to beef up Taiwan's security in face of China's increased military threat.

(By Flor Wang)

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