Opposition rejects call to pass arms budget

“The opposition parties should first agree to look at the budget and then during the review process they can make strict final checks,” Chen said, according to ruling Democratic Progressive Party law maker Tang Huo-shen.

“They should not blindly and stubbornly block it.”

The purchase of advanced U.S. weaponry has remained stalled in the legislature for over a year — even though the government has slashed its budget twice.

The opposition Kuomintang and People First Party hold a slim majority in the parliamentary body and use this power to reject the deal, saying it is too expensive.

The Legislature’s procedures committee, which meets tomorrow, has already rejected the special budget from even getting a hearing at least 27 times. The special budget must be reviewed by legislative committees before it goes before the legislature’s full house.

The budget has been slashed from NT$610.8 billion to NT$480 billion and then more recently from NT$480 billion to NT$340 billion.

Tang, who met with Chen and grassroots DPP members on Saturday, quoted the president as saying the KMT should support the purchase as Taiwan first planned to buy these weapons during KMT rule in the 1990s.

But the U.S. only agreed to Taiwan’s suggestion more recently, Chen said. The Bush administration agreed to sell Taiwan the package of diesel electric submarines, anti-submarine jet fighters and Patriot anti-missile systems in 2001.

“U.S. President George Bush is showing us goodwill in selling us the weapons. The KMT should not block this,” Tang quoted Chen as saying.

Analysts have said the military balance in the Taiwan Strait may tip in China’s favor if the purchase does not go ahead.

The delay has also left many U.S. officials wondering if Taiwan is really committed to self-defense. The U.S. gives diplomatic recognition to China but is legally bound to come to Taiwan’s aid in the event of an unprovoked attack.

A frustrated Tang said he suggested to Chen that if opposition law makers continued to obstruct Premier Frank Hsieh from delivering a parliamentary address, the president should dissolve the legislature and call for fresh elections.

“Patience, patience,” Tang described Chen as replying.

Chen’s latest call left the opposition unmoved.

Lawmaker Tseng Yung-chuan, the director of the KMT’s central policy planning committee, said the procedures committee would continue to block the special budget along with Chen’s nominations for a new team of Control Yuan members.

He said his party had set up a coordination task force with the PFP, which will meet every Monday to discuss cooperation over various bills and budgets. “Cooperation between the KMT and PFP is getting closer all the time,” he said.

The PFP’s deputy council convener Sun Ta-chien said the PFP would not budge on its opposition to the U.S. deal. “There won’t be any changes because of calls from President Chen,” he said.

Sun said his party would make every effort to block the special budget in the procedures committee.

He said his party was not opposed to arms deals generally but it did oppose arms deals that were ridiculously overpriced.

The government was able to slash the special budget to NT$340 billion by funding the purchase of Patriot anti-missile systems out of the defense ministry’s regular annual budget in a significant concession to the opposition. Currently the NT$340 billion special budget is for purchasing the diesel electric submarines and anti-submarine fighters.

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