Opposition lawmakers yesterday blocked a bill authorizing a special defense budget of NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.8 billion) from being placed on the agenda for Friday’s Legislative Yuan plenary session as they urged President William Lai (賴清德) to appear before the legislature and answer questions about the proposed budget first.
Lai on Wednesday last week announced the NT$1.25 trillion supplementary budget to underscore the nation’s determination to defend itself, saying that China’s goal is to “prepare for the military unification with Taiwan by 2027.”
The Executive Yuan on Thursday last week passed the draft act for the NT$1.25 trillion in government spending for major weapons purchases over eight years, from next year to 2033.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
During a meeting of the legislature’s Procedure Committee yesterday, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) proposed postponing consideration of the bill, a move that was supported by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP).
KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) said the KMT caucus fully supports national defense and military procurement to protect the nation, and defend free and democratic Taiwan, but the Ministry of National Defense had not explicitly stated that the Chinese Communist Party would have the capability to take Taiwan by force by 2027 in any of its defense budgets across the past three fiscal years, including this fiscal year.
Lai had neither briefed the legislature nor informed the public, but made the announcement through an op-ed in an international newspaper, Fu said.
The government has not stated what equipment or platforms are being purchased before attempting to ram a draft defense budget through the Procedure Committee, he said, adding that this was akin to demanding a blank check while the public remains in the dark.
The president must appear before the legislature to clarify the defense budget to the public before a decision can be made, he said.
TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said that the public absolutely supports measures to increase the nation’s self-defense capabilities, but with budgets running to more than NT$1 trillion and the lackluster results of defense procurements, Lai must provide guarantees that the special budget would translate into a direct increase in Taiwan’s combat readiness.
The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) efforts to legitimize its demands to boost the defense budget, while smearing the opposition’s right to oversight, as well as allowing the president to “threaten” the public with the imminent subjugation of the country, are the greatest dangers facing Taiwan, he added.
Huang agreed that the president should appear before the legislature and the TPP wished to ask the president many questions, as it had received only two A4 pages of information on the proposed budget.
Meanwhile, DPP lawmakers went to the committee meeting armed with protest placards.
DPP caucus secretary-general Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) said the opposition parties must make known to the public why they are blocking the special defense budget.
The president has made it very clear that his appearance at the legislature is open for discussion as long as the process is in line with standing regulations and procedures, Chen said, but the opposition parties were unwilling to discuss the issue in detail.
DPP Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) said the opposition’s demands were an excuse to hide behind their true intention to oppose the defense budget.
DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) said that Lai was willing to brief the legislature, but the opposition’s insistence that each legislator be allowed to question the president is unconstitutional.
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