Press Interpreter

08/11/05 -- Whether or not the three major Arms Procurement Bill items will pass the legislature tests whether Taiwan has the self-defense capability for arms discussions, or if the two opposition parties' are still in decline. After the "Chen-Song meeting," because both produced feelings of suspicious "sincerity," both Chen Shuibian and Song Chuyu merely wanted to look forward to the arms procurement bill. Moreover, Mayor Ma, who previously criticized China's "Anti-Secession Law," and the nativist poser Wang Jinping, cannot fumble around and create an army over night but should bravely straighten their backs and cooperate in helping the Arms Procurement Bill pass.

In the opposition party Congressmen's supervisory role, whether or not it is appropriate to call into question the administrative branch's Arms Procurement Bill on the basis of the items being purchased, or on the grounds that the bill's items are affordable or not is reasonable--but supervision is only the means and not the end.

The three major Arms Procurement Bill items were all put forward during the KMT's period in office and it was extremely difficult to achieve the United States' approval of the sale, so everyone can have some complaints. Everyone but the KMT. If the KMT still has complaints and even doubts the DPP government's ability, or believes the arms are too expensive, then the Arms Procurement Bill should be handed over to the Parliament for re-examination and its budget should undergo reduction by specialists. This indirect approach could reveal whether the KMT really has the ability to promote a second round of talks.

In the opposition party Congressmen's supervisory role, whether or not it is appropriate to call into question the administrative branch's Arms Procurement Bill on the basis of the items being purchased, or on the grounds that the bill's items are affordable or not is reasonable--but supervision is only the means and not the end.

At the beginning of this year, when China passed the Anti-Secession Law, Ma expressed his criticisms of the Law, and because of this was unable to accept an invitation to speak in Hong Kong. Taking a broader view of the Pan-Blue leader, at the time only Ma Yingjiu dared to do this. If he is able to consistently maintain his “opposition to Communist China� and support the Arms Procurement Bill, in the future these will be Ma’s greatest assets in the Taiwanese political arena.

Wang Jinping’s un-oppositional attitude toward the Arms Procurement Bill is very obvious, but he is overly cautious and indecisive. His hands and feet are tied, and this led to delays and deferrals in the examination process of the Bill. He cannot give the people the impression that he is able to “take charge of the situation.�

You don’t need to wait for the 9/25 Pan-Green marches, if Ma and Wang can put their hands together and support the passage of the Arms Procurement Bill, and with concrete actions prove they “oppose the PRC and Love Taiwan,� then there is no reason to worry about who will take charge of 2008’s assets.

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[This article appeared in the "Liberty News," http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/]

by Chen Shanrong

--Translated by Ron Judy, rsjudy@cyu.edu.tw

Original article available via the Liberty Time website.