Taiwan Chaos continues<g>--Half million Taiwanese protest disputed election, China warns against continued unrest
Associated Press
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Nearly a half million people swarmed into Taiwan's capital on Saturday to protest the results of last weekend's presidential election, despite hints from China that social turmoil might give it a reason to take control of the island.
Enduring a cold drizzle, the demonstrators wore yellow rain ponchos, waved red Taiwanese flags and filled up the wide boulevard in front of the Presidential Office. They cheered and listened to fiery speeches alleging that President Chen Shui-bian rigged the March 20 vote.
The losing candidate, Nationalist leader Lien Chan, addressed the crowd and repeated his demands for a recount of the vote that Chen won by a tiny margin.
"If someone uses nasty means to gain power, such power won't be effective and won't be respected," said Lien, a 67-year-old former political science professor and ex-vice president.
Lien also demanded an independent investigation into the bizarre election-eve shooting that lightly wounded Chen and might have given him a crucial last-minute boost at the polls.
At a late night news conference, Chen repeated that he also wants a recount but election laws would have to be changed to allow for a speedy re-tally. He urged lawmakers to hurry and amend the law.
"We haven't rigged the election, so why should we fear a recount," he said.
Chen also said he would accept the recount's results and he challenged Lien to say the same. The president added he welcomed foreign investigators to join the shooting probe.
"I want to know more than anyone else why someone would shoot me," he said.
The Taipei city government said about 470,000 people attended the four-hour rally. The protest was peaceful, though a small group tried to knock over barricades near the Presidential Office.
The rally was much different from a protest Friday, when about 2,000 people stormed the Central Election Commission headquarters in Taipei to demand that officials delay certifying the election's results.
Still, security was high Saturday, with the brown-brick Presidential Office ringed by police buses, and streets leading to key government buildings and to the ruling party headquarters barricaded.
Chen was officially declared the victor on Friday, drawing congratulations overnight from the United States.
"We congratulate Mr. Chen on his victory," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said, while recognizing the pending legal challenges of the results.
China expressed displeasure Saturday over Washington's message, saying it was an "incorrect act" that undermined its commitment to Beijing's one-China policy. China still claims the island as its territory, although the two sides split during civil war in 1949.
The admonition came a day after Beijing said it wouldn't "look on unconcerned" if the turmoil in Taiwan continued. China didn't say what it might do, and it wasn't clear whether the comments were more than a ritual declaration of the mainland's rights over the island, but Beijing previously has threatened to take over the island if it ever descends into chaos.
Taiwan said the statement was "rude" and "unreasonable." The government warned China against meddling in Taiwan's affairs.
Lawmakers have been discussing amending the law to allow a speedy recount, but they disagree about how to do it. The courts are also considering the need for a re-tally, but it might be months before there's a decision.
Chen's most difficult task might be satisfying the many skeptics who believe he faked the shooting to win sympathy votes. Some protesters on Saturday carried signs that said: "Democracy shot in the stomach" and "Shooting tricks shall be revealed."
Police haven't made any arrests, but on Friday they released photos of an unidentified man hurrying away from the shooting scene. They asked the public to help identify the man, who'd been filmed by a security camera.
Chartered buses from cities in southern Taiwan arrived for the rally, as protesters said Friday's violence didn't scare them away.
"That was a small minority of overexcited people. We still know our demands are reasonable, so we still have to persist and stay here," said Colin Wu, 38, an insurance salesman.
Some protesters held up pictures of Chen and the vice president as others beat the images with umbrellas. Many wore black, as requested by the Nationalist party, to symbolize mourning for Taiwan's democracy.
"This was a very dirty election. We want the truth," said Carla Wang, a 56-year-old who works at a trading company.
At the tall marble Nationalist Party headquarters facing the Presidential Office, protesters were picking up white balloons with the word "Recount."
"This is a moment in history I cannot let pass," said Eve Chiang, 29, a sales assistant at a clothing store, waiting her turn to receive a balloon.
Copyright © 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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