• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

MND HOPES 3 ITEMS IN ARMS PROCUREMENT PACKAGE WILL CLEAR LEGISLATURE

ROC Central News Agency

2006-02-21 20:04:33

    Taipei, Feb. 21 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) hopes that all three items of a long-stalled major arms procurement package will clear the Legislative Yuan intact, Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng said Tuesday.

    Wang made the remarks after National Defense Minister Lee Jye called on him at the legislature on the first day of the new session.

    According to Wang, Lee's latest idea is to have all three items in the package -- eight diesel-electric submarines, six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries and a squadron of 12 P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft -- approved so that "the needs of national defense will be satisfied at one time."

    The opposition "pan-blue alliance" of the Kuomintang and the People First Party, which together command a slim majority in the legislature and has blocked the package for nearly two years, recently said the Patriot PAC III batteries should not be discussed at all before a three-year referendum ban expires in 2007, since a 2004 referendum on the plan did not meet the validity threshold. According to the Referendum Act, any plan vetoed in a referendum cannot be put up for a referendum again for three years.

    Wang reiterated his suggestion to upgrade Patriot PAC II batteries that are already deployed in Taiwan if the Patriot PAC III batteries are dropped.

    But the ministry seems more intent on keeping the "original plan," according to Wang.

    The MND is also prepared to have the budget for the three items included in regular budget, showing that the ministry is willing to accommodate to the wishes of the opposition, Wang added.

    The MND also hopes that the ratio of expenditure on national defense to the gross domestic product will rise gradually from next year to about 3 percent. Currently, the ratio stands at 2.4 percent of the GDP.

    On the issue of the submarines, which the opposition lawmakers have complained are too expensive, Wang said the MND should make clear its stance, although Lee did not mention the price issue during the meeting.

(By Lilian Wu)

ENDITEM/J