Defense committee puts off proposal for year's Kidd-class destroyers budget

The National Defense Committee of the legislature once again put off its scheduled screening of the proposed budget for the purchase of four Kidd-class destroyers yesterday because opposition lawmakers objected to the proposal.

Lawmakers with the PFP, led by ex-navy chief Admiral Nelson Ku (顧崇廉), suggested that the proposed budget for the Kidds be sent to the floor for a vote, bypassing the screening sessions at the defense committee.

KMT lawmakers came up with a proposal that the budget for the Kidds be shelved for a year and approval of the budget should be decided by the defense committee next year.

DPP lawmakers, who were unified in their support for the purchase of the Kidds, were unable to convince the opposition camp to get behind the proposal.

The defense committee agreed to put off its screening of the proposed budget, which was scheduled to be completed yesterday.

It was the second time that the screening of the proposed budget for the Kidds was postponed.

The defense committee should have finished its screening of the proposed budget last week, but it put it off to yesterday after heavy resistance from the opposition camp.

Last week, the KMT legislative caucus came up with the idea that the navy could choose to lease the Kidds from the US or that the US could offer loans to Taiwan for the purchase of the ships.

The idea was not accepted by the navy, which said if it chose to lease the Kidds, it would have to spend more money.

This week, some KMT lawmakers on the defense committee were reluctant to give ground to the navy and suggested that the Kidds deal be shelved until next year.

A navy general, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed worry about the development.

"It is apparent that some lawmakers oppose the Kidds deal for no reason. We have told them that their solutions are not workable," he said.

The screening of the proposed budget for the Kidds has been put off till tomorrow as the defense committee meets for an examination of the classified portion of the proposed defense budget for next year.

The defense committee's meeting yesterday also covered next year's classified defense budget.

The committee was scheduled to finish the screening of the classified budget involving the army and navy yesterday.

By the end of the day, only NT$5 million was cut from the proposed budget while the classified defense committee agreed to the army's purchase of a new tactical communication system.