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DELAY IN MILITARY PROCUREMENT DEEPENS MISGIVINGS BY ALLIES

ROC Central News Agency

2006-12-27 19:44:54

    Taipei, Dec. 27 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian expressed hope Wednesday that a Legislative Yuan committee will start to review the government's arms procurement plan now that it has finally been put on the legislative agenda after repeated blockage by opposition lawmakers.

    Chen made the remarks when he presided over a commissioning ceremony of new generals. Also attending were Vice President Annette Lu, Minister of National Defense Lee Jye, Chief of the General Staff Lee Tien-yu, National Security Bureau Chief Shieh Shih-ming and other generals.

    The president said the long delay in reviewing the arms procurement plan has gone too far beyond the boundaries of partisan bickering, resulting in direct impact on national security, as well as a deepening misgivings by the country's allies about some opposition parties' determination to defend Taiwan.

    He said the arms procurement package has been blocked by the opposition-controlled legislature nearly 70 times since it was first submitted for legislative review in mid-2004.

    Noting that some opposition leaders have said bills related to the arms procurement plan will be handled in this legislative session, he lamented that the current session is nearly at its end.

    Chen expressed hope that the legislature will review an arms procurement bill requesting NT$6.3 billion Friday.

    He noted that the U.S. has said unequivocally that this legislative session is the best time to handle the arms procurement and he expressed hope that all legislators across the party spectrum can rationally review the issue.

    While the purchase of four "Keelung-class" missile destroyers -- a Kidd-class warship-- was finalized after he assumed the presidency, the four warships had already been commissioned and joined the nation's defense force.

    However, three big-item arms procurements, which were decided by the previous administration, have never been put to legislative review, let alone passed.

    He was referring to plans to purchase eight diesel-electric submarines, a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft and six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries from the United States.

    An initial budget bill requesting NT$610.8 billion (US$16 billion) was slashed to NT$480 billion last year to placate the opposition lawmakers. It was further reduced to NT$340 billion to purchase only the submarines and the sub-hunting aircraft.

    Friday's bill will request a NT$6.3 billion supplementary budget covering NT$200 million for a submarine feasibility assessment, NT$1.7 billion for the P-3Cs in the first year, NT$3.7 billion for the upgrading of the Patriot II missiles, and NT$700 million for building an airstrip on Taiping Island in the Spratly archipelago.

(By Lilian Wu)

ENDITEM/J