KMT TREATING ARMS PROCUREMENT POLICY, ARMS BILL SEPARATELY: CHAIRMAN
ROC Central News Agency
2006-03-15 12:40:29
Taipei, March 15 (CNA) Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou said Wednesday that the party is treating it's policy on the country's arms procurement and on an arms procurement bill separately.
Ma, who doubles as Taipei mayor, said that the KMT will make its arms procurement policy known at an opportune time, while the KMT legislative caucus will have the final say on the KMT's position on the long-stalled arms procurement bill.
The KMT is scheduled to convene a central standing committee meeting later in the day to discuss a common stance to be put forward by the opposition "pan-blue alliance," which also includes the People First Party and the New Party, on the fate of the arms procurement bill.
The Ministry of National Defense submitted the major arms procurement bill, for the purchase of eight diesel-powered submarines, six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries and 12 anti-submarine aircraft from the United States, to the Legislative Yuan in 2004.
Opposition lawmakers have blocked the bill on more than 40 occasions since its introduction, questioning the price tag and the necessity of the purchase, even though the MND has slashed the original budget from NT$610.8 billion (US$18.79 billion) to NT$480 billion in an effort to get the bill passed.
(By Deborah Kuo)
ENDITEM/Li
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