Asia Pulse,
TAIPEI: Legislators from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) stressed Tuesday the urgency of passing a military procurement package proposed by the Cabinet, saying the next legislative session should approve its funding as quickly as possible.
DPP Legislator Yeh Yi-jin said military procurement should have overall planning and that the government can annually appropriate budgets for it.
On reports the main opposition Kuomintang will give the green light only to purchasing one of three items on the shopping list — the P-3C anti-submarine aircraft — Yeh expressed doubt this alone would be able to enhance the nation's overall defense capabilities.
DPP Legislator Lee Wen-chung also said the United States has begun to doubt Taiwan's determination to defend itself, and is impatient with the long-stalled procurement.
“If the budgets for military procurement can't pass the legislative in the session, it would seriously undermine Taiwan-U.S. relations,” he reaffirmed.
KMT Legislator Lu Hsiu-yen paraphrased a U.S. Defense Department official in charge of Taiwan affairs in saying the U.S. hopes the legislature will pass the military procurement package by the end of October, hinting it “could be an ultimatum.”
The new legislative session is set to begin Sept. 19. Recent reports said that the KMT could agree to a speedy screening of the P-3C anti-submarine aircraft, a less controversial and sensitive item in the package.
The KMT and its partner in the opposition “pan-blue alliance” — the People First Party — maintain a slight majority in the 221-seat legislature.
The DPP-led government presented a special budget request for NT$610.8 billion (US$18.65 billion) in June 2004 to buy a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft, six Patriot PAC-III anti-missile batteries and eight diesel-electric submarines.
Although the government subsequently compromised under strong opposition pressure and reduced the budget to NT$480 billion, opposition lawmakers still refused to screen related legislation.
The proposed submarine deal met with the strongest opposition because KMT and PFP legislators criticized the exorbitant pricetag, not to mention the fact the manufacturing country is unknown and the 15-year delivery period is too long.
The opposition also reminded the government that it cannot buy Patriot III missile batteries from the United States until after 2007 because a referendum held along with the 2004 presidential election had already vetoed the purchase.
According to law, the issue of buying advanced anti-missile weapons cannot be raised again within three years of the proposal being defeated in the referendum.
