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KMT says it will support arms bill

From left to right, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Su Chi, Tsai Chin-lung and Lin Yu-fang hold a press conference at the legislature yesterday criticizing a speech delivered by President Chen Shui-bian in which he slammed the KMT for blocking the arms procurement budget. PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday promised to place a long-stalled arms procurement bill on the legislative agenda, while the People First Party (PFP) remained opposed to it, threatening to boycott the bill in today's legislative session.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) told Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (李傑) that the PFP's position would determine the course of events.

Wang made the remarks when Lee paid a visit to him yesterday showing his concern for the bill.

"It's the PFP's stance that matters, as it will more or less influence the KMT," Wang said.

Today's legislative session will confirm whether the NT$6.27 billion (US$192 million) supplemental budget, which would provide initial funding for the purchase of weapons from the US, will be referred for an initial review as Tuesday's procedure committee had suggested.

The pan-blue dominated procedure committee on Tuesday agreed for the first time to advance the bill onto the agenda as PFP lawmakers said that they "forgot" to oppose it.

The supplemental budget includes initial funding for the purchase of P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, the upgrading of PAC-2 anti-missile batteries, partial funding for the design of submarines, as well as NT$700 million to build an airstrip on Taiping Island.

KMT policy convener Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) guaranteed Lee yesterday that the party, which had been siding with the PFP on the issue, now supports a review of the arms bill.

PFP Spokesman Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said his party still opposes the arms bill.

"Although the KMT might change its position, we still stick to our [guns]," Lee Hung-chun said.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Progressive Party legislative caucus may propose a motion in today's session to refer the arms bill directly to a second reading, which can bypass the initial review stage and speed up the passage of legislation.
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