DPP, PFP trade insults over arms bill

MUDSLINGING: The two caucuses had barbed comments for each other after the pan-blue dominated Procedure Committee blocked the arms bill for the 31st time

BY KO SHU-LING

STAFF REPORTER

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday locked horns with the People First Party (PFP) yesterday over the long-stalled arms procurement plan, with the DPP calling the PFP a "gangster ring" and the PFP painting the DPP as an "evil empire."

The two camps' name-calling came after the pan-blue-dominated Procedure Committee blocked the US-arms procurement bill for the 31st time.

The confirmation of President Chen Shui-bian's nominees for the Control Yuan and the party asset bill also failed to pass the committee.

The committee voted in favor of tabling the stymied arms procurement bill along with 17 other bills proposed by the DPP and its small ally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).

Frustrated by the pan-blue camp's ongoing obstructionism, DPP caucus whip William Lai described the PFP as a "gangster ring" that is extorting the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) with the party asset bill.

That bill is designed to compel the KMT to return its stolen party assets to the public and state coffers.

The PFP has threatened to push the party asset bill through for legislative review if the KMT breaks ranks with it on the arms bill, which the PFP adamantly opposes.

"The PFP's audacity makes people sick to their stomach and boil with anger," Lai said. "Although political parties and lawmakers should make public and national interests their first priority, the PFP is using the KMT's good intentions as a bargaining advantage to kidnap and extort its long-term political ally."

Lai called on KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou to stand tough in the face of the PFP's intimidation, and said there should not be any legislative bargaining within the pan-blue camp on the essential security legislation.

DPP Legislator Hsu Kuo-yung called into question the function of the Procedure Committee, saying that the committee does not have the right to encroach on the prerogative of the other legislative committees and plenary sessions.

While the Procedural Committee's job is to set the legislative agenda, Hsu said that it is the responsibility of the legislative committees and plenary sessions to discuss the details of bills.

Dismissing the DPP's allegation as "unacceptable," PFP Legislator Chang Hsien-yao responded by calling the DPP an "evil empire."

In addition to reiterating his caucus' opposition to what he called the "irrational" arms procurement plan, Chang called on Ma to offer a clear-cut explanation of whether the KMT will support the arms bill after the year-end elections, as has been speculated.

He also challenged the DPP to a public debate over the arms procurement package.

Chang said that his caucus has drawn up a different version to counter the DPP's proposal, but he remained tight-lipped about details, saying that he does not want to mislead the public into believing that his caucus supports the arms procurement plan.

Hold Beijing to account

By Kevin Larson

Everyone around the world remembers the Tiananmen Massacre that took place on June 4, 1989 in Beijing. A peaceful protest by students and workers was brutally squashed by the country's authoritarian leaders and their mono-spectacled "People's Liberation Army" (PLA).

To make things worse, no one in the controlling Chinese Communist Party has yet been held responsible, or even accountable. In China the Tiananmen massacre is officially treated as something that never even happened. If a person in China is caught talking about it, they could go to jail, or worse.

China's "peaceful rise?" Let history speak for itself. Everyone knows that the "peaceful liberation" of Tibet was anything but. People also know that China is secretly trying to push out Tibetans by exporting migrant Han Chinese into Tibet.

The history of Tibet and the similar ongoing plight of China's Uighurs, added to the Machiavellian methods Beijing employed at Tiananmen, proves beyond a shadow of doubt that Taiwan is looking at a wolf in wolf's clothing across the Strait. Even Hong Kong's `democracy' is facing the lies that China puts forth every day.

And "Chinese Macau"? It is nothing more than a corrupt playground for the rich few hailing from Shanghai to Beijing, while the majority of the Chinese people's needs are neglected. But Tiananmen's ghost is a legacy and a message that will not go away. In fact, it is back and stronger than ever. And just as one man stood in front of the PLA's column of tanks, now 23 million Taiwanese face the Chinese military threat from across the Strait.

If Taiwan holds high its "Peace and Democracy" sign in front of Beijing's leaders, in the spirit of Tiananmen, will China's tanks still be able to roll over Taiwan with the whole world watching? And if Taiwan spoke loudly and if China responded by force, would the world hold China accountable? Better still, will the authorities in China hold themselves accountable -- once and for all?

Kevin Larson

Chiayi

Arms bill is Taiwan's problem

By Eric Yeh

In response to a recent editorial ("US must alter its approach," Sept. 30, page 8), there are two important reasons why the US should not play a proactive role in Taiwanese politics.

First, US intervention in Taiwanese politics would forever alter the way legislation is dealt with in Taiwan. For example, if the US happens to be unhappy with other future legislation or actions taken by the Taiwanese government, Washington would be given the option of controlling Taiwan through actions such as denying visas to Taiwanese politicians.

Second, the US government cannot interfere with the decision of Taiwan's legislature when that legislative body is a legitimate creation of democracy. What would be the point of democracy in Taiwan if the US can play a role in it?

I, too, find it annoying that the special arms procurement budget cannot be passed. But it would be irresponsible for us to delegate the US government to deal with this problem. Rather, the campaign for the budget needs to be reevaluated so that creative ways can be found to educate the public and win them over to the cause.

Eric Yeh

Evanston, Illinois