The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday suggested that it would be willing to agree to a "reasonable" arms procurement budget bill if the government agreed to open direct transportation links with China.
KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung (
The committee agreed with the idea in principle, but suggested certain modifications.
"Instead of `in exchange for,' the committee agreed that it would be better to use the term `and' to avoid any suggestion that we will allow the bill to be passed easily," KMT spokesman Chen Ming-yi (
Ting asked the government to support the idea of direct transportation links with China and to list the arms procurement budget in the government's regular annual budget. In return, Ting proposed, the KMT's legislative caucus would be willing to push for the bill's passage through the Legislative Yuan.
"I think the Democratic Progressive Party government should accept the proposal to break the current gridlock in the legislature while assuring peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait," he said.
Committee members, however, where split on whether such a proposal would be appropriate.
"I do not think the issue of the arms procurement budget bill should be discussed in the committee," KMT vice chairmen John Kuan (
Kuan's opinion was seconded by legislator John Chiang (
Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) suggested that the party should not link the procurement to the cross-strait transport issue.
"The public will exaggerate the term `in exchange for' and think that we will allow the procurement budget bill to be passed easily," he said.
The arms procurement bill has failed to clear the Legislative Yuan 45 times since mid-2004 due to objections from the pan-blue camp.
KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
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