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Journalism of Courage
TAIPEI, MARCH 19: The leader of a Taiwan pro-independence party reviled by Beijing ended more than half a century of Nationalist rule today with a dramatic win in presidential elections.
Jubilant supporters of Chen Shui-Bian filled the streets of Taipei setting off firecrackers and waving a sea of banners after he narrowly defeated independent James Soong.
Lien Chan, the candidate of the Nationalist party which has ruled Taiwan since 1945, trailed badly.
Beijing has issued a stream of ominous threats about the possibility of a Chen win, with premier Zhu Rongji warning that if Taiwan’s voters acted impulsively they may not get a second chance.
The final official tally showed Chen with 4.9 million votes, Soong with 4.6 million and Lien with 2.9 million.
Turnout among Taiwan’s 15.46 million eligible voters was 82.69 per cent.
Tens of thousands of supporters thronged Chen’s campaign headquarters in central Taipei, blowing plastic horns, cheering and singing.
“President Chen, President Chen,” they chanted.
A subdued Lien, wearing a dark suit and with his former beauty queen wife by his side, conceded defeat at his party’s headquarters.
“I feel very sorry,” he said in hushed tones, bowing his head.
“I’ve let down everybody’s high hopes”.
Chen’s Democratic Progressive Party openly espouses independence, but Chen had backpedaled on the issue to avoid scaring voters.
Chen has promised that if elected he would not hold a referendum on the issue or change the flag and constitution.
Before the results were announced, Taiwan’s military pledged to back whoever won.
“On behalf of the armed forces, I hereby pledge to the would-be commander-in-chief that the armed forces will be loyal, make sacrifices and contributions, and defend the national security of the Republic of China,” Chief of Staff Tang Yao-Ming said in a statement.
Democratic reforms introduced since the late 1980s have de-politicised Taiwan’s 400,000-strong military.
In the face of fresh threats from China, defence minister Tang Fei has instructed the military to “increase their overall alertness and strengthen their guard”, the statement said.
It quoted Tang as saying Taiwan “did not seek war, but neither did it fear conflict”.
Insight
China said today that it will never allow independence for Taiwan but it was ready to listen to what Taiwan’s new president-elect, the pro-independence Chen Shui-Bian, had to say.
"The election of a new leader in Taiwan cannot change the fact that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory," the Chinese government said in its first reaction to today’s stunning election victory by the Democratic Progressive Party leader Chen.
