Kidds' budget goes to floor

The Defense Committee yesterday failed to reach an agreement on whether to endorse the navy's 2003 proposed budget for the purchase of four Kidd-class destroyers, making it necessary for the issue to be resolved on the floor of the legislature.

Yesterday's meeting of the Defense Committee was the last chance for the committee to pass or reject the proposed Kidds budget. But after a lengthy tug of war, the committee decided to leave the budget for a floor vote.

The committee has put off its scheduled screening of the proposed budget twice because of differences between DPP and opposition lawmakers.

The DPP's legislative caucus strongly condemned the opposition parties, especially the KMT, for turning the Kidds case into a fight for political gain.

"It is a pity that the opposition camp did not try to solve the issue during the budget-screening sessions of the committee. As the budget goes to the floor for a vote, it will become a divisive issue between the ruling and opposition parties," said DPP Legislator Li Wen-chung (李文忠), a senior member of the Defense Committee.

"The KMT should understand that even its own think-tank argues in favor of the navy's plan to buy the four Kidds. If Taiwan is not able to buy the Kidds, it will not be able to maintain sea superiority over China by 2005," Li said.

Li made the remarks yesterday at a DPP legislative caucus press conference.

The KMT was harshly criticized by the DPP for insisting on supporting the Kidds deal only under certain conditions.

The KMT insisted that the navy must lease the Kidds or get loans from the US to buy the ships. If the navy can not meet the requirements, the KMT suggested that the proposed budget for the Kidds be cut by 20 percent next year.

The PFP suggested that the Kidds budget be shelved for a year.

DPP Legislator Chen Chung-hsin (陳忠信), also a senior Defense Committee member, said the PFP's demand amounts to cutting all of next year's Kidds budget.

"The committee could have resolved the dispute by vote at the meeting today. But a KMT woman lawmaker, who happened to be the chairperson of the meeting, called an end to the meeting before a vote could be held on the issue," Chen said.

"This violates the meeting rules."