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KMT LAWMAKERS SHARE DIFFERING OPINIONS ON U.S. MILITARY PROCUREMENT

ROC Central News Agency

2005-12-14 23:08:43

    Taipei, Dec. 14 (CNA) The long-stalled U.S. arms procurement package could be put forward in a regular annual military budget instead of a special one, two opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers said Wednesday.

    KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung said that it would be acceptable for the annual military budget to be increased to 3 percent of GDP, and the planned special military budget for the long-stalled arms procurement package could be integrated into the military's regular budget plan.

    KMT Legislator Shuai Hua-Ming said that he would also be happy to see the annual military budget be increased to 3 percent of GDP. "We have had a shortfall in our annual military budget for a long time. It would have been better if the budget money was spent on national defense rather than on elections," he said.

    The U.S. weapons procurement package has yet to even be reviewed in a legislative committee because of opposition by the opposition "pan-blue alliance" of the KMT and the People First Party, which has a slight majority in the legislature.

    It was reported that the U.S. government is no longer asking that the military procurement pass the legislature as an entire package, adding that Taiwan should increase its annual military budget to more than 3 percent of GDP as a substitute plan.

    However, two other KMT legislators, Pan Wei-Kang and Su Chi, were cool about the proposal.

    Pan said that it will be up to the Executive Yuan to decide on the ratio of increased spending if the special military budget is to be changed to an annual conventional budget.

    Su doubted that the U.S. would interfere that much in Taiwan's internal affairs and he suspects that some people are bluffing on this issue. He said that a U.S. official he met in October this year briefed him on the background of the procurement plan and he thinks that the U.S. respects Taiwan's decision on the issue.

(By Taijing Wu)

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