Taiwan police dispersed the last group of some 500 protesters
from around the office building of the leader of the Taiwan
authorities?on Sunday?morning after five hours of
efforts.
Some of the demonstrators moved to a nearby square to continue
the protest against the election.
The group was the tail end of a mass rally, initiated by the
opposition coalition of the Kuomintang and People First Party on
Saturday.
The election committee of Taiwan determined that the coalition
lost the March 20 election for the leadership of Taiwan region by a
margin of only 0.22 per cent.
Chen Shui-bian, to whom election authorities there gave the
victory in the controversial election, held a press conference at 9
pm on Saturday.
He denied accusations of irregularities in the voting and
allegations that the shooting was faked to win sympathetic votes.
He said he was willing to see a recount and expected a clear result
from the shooting probe.
Chen also agreed to meet with the losing candidate Lien Chan,
head of Kuomintang, and Lien's running mate, James Soong, of the
People First Party, today, but under the condition that protesters
be instantly removed.
The opposition coalition quickly responded with a press
conference of its own.
A spokesman said the mysterious shooting on March 19
significantly influenced the results of the election the next day,
which hurt the coalition greatly.
Saying that "justice that comes too late is not justice any
more," the spokesman repeated a demand for a recount and a thorough
investigation of the shooting.
Lien and Soong were also waiting for the meeting with Chen
today, he added.
The rally was comparatively peaceful, but thousands of riot
police were ordered to drive away the protesters early Sunday
morning.
Some of the protesters who refused to leave were carried away by
force, and the others left the leader's office building
reluctantly, with some of them turning to the nearby square.
At the height of the rally on Saturday, about half million
people gathered in Taipei demanding a recount and the truth about
the mysterious shooting.
Protesters from other parts of Taiwan island traveled to Taipei
on Saturday morning to protest the "unfair election" on March
20.
They joined other protesters who had been in a sit-in on the
avenue in front of the seat of the leader of Taiwan authorities for
the seventh consecutive day.
Early in the afternoon, the avenue and neighboring streets were
jammed with protesters waving slogans and flags.
Addressing the rally, Lien Chan reiterated his charges of
election irregularities.
Opposition leaders have said the election was unfair due to vote
irregularities and the mysterious shooting incident on March 19, in
which Chen Shui-bian and his running mate were wounded. The
opposition also demanded a recount of the vote and that election
results be nullified.
Meanwhile on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong
Quan said in Beijing that China firmly opposes congratulations sent
by the United States to the Taiwan authority after the announcement
of the election results by Taiwan electoral institution.
A US White House spokesman expressed congratulations to the
Taiwan authority after the electoral institution of Taiwan
announced the election results on Friday.
Kong said China firmly opposes these actions, which violate the
three China-US joint communiques and interfere in China's internal
affairs.
He said there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is part
of China.
The US Government has time and again committed itself to
adhering to the one-China policy, abiding by the three China-US
joint communiques and opposing any words or activities of the
Taiwan authority to change the status quo of Taiwan or to move
toward "Taiwan independence," Kong said.
The US Government should honor its words, the spokesman
said.
(China Daily March 29, 2004)