President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮)were shot yesterday afternoon while leading a motorcade in Tainan City butwere assessed to be in good condition after being sent to the Chi mei
Medical Center in adjacent Yungkang City, Tainan County.
The government immediately called a national security meeting at the Presidential Office to activate emergency security measures, including the convening of a special Cabinet task force and the upgrading of military
readiness.But today's presidential election and referendum will proceed as normal.
“The presidential election and the referendum will be held in accordance with the original schedule on Saturday. We hope that everyone in the country will keep calm and proceed with voting normally to strengthen Taiwan's
democracy,” Premier Yu Shyi-kun said at the conclusion of the one-hour meeting.
Yu also said that because Chen was not seriously hurt, he would be fully capable of continuing with his presidential duties.Initial reports of the shooting emerged at 2:15pm, but both the government and the DPP at first would not confirm them.
Chen's top aide, Secretary General to the President Chiou I-jen (邱義仁),then held a press conference at 3:30pm, saying that the president and vice president had been injured, but that fortunately their lives were not in danger and that both were conscious.
Chiou said the shooting occurred at 1:45pm, when Chen and Lu, standing side-by-side on a jeep in a Tainan City motorcade, were struck by bullets as they passed near the intersection of Wenhsien Rd and Chinhua Rd cross-road, and thousands of supporters crowded as well as the firecrackers
spreading everywhere, none of security guards found the gunshot.
“The vice president first felt sharp pain on her right knee, then the president felt that his right stomach was wet,” said secretary general to the president Chiou I-jen (邱義仁), “he lift his jacket then found blood.”
Chiou said that security guards escorted Chen and Lu to the hospital, while the public didn't aware of the gunshot event, but there was a clear bullet hole on the windscreen of Chen's jeep.
“The National Police Administration and Minister of Justice have organized a special task force to take charge in the investigation.
“As to those issues, including that who or what institute made the crime,how many bullets, or was there any witness, the government has no any concrete answer for the time being,” Chiou said.
Questioning by the media about the president's protective measurement, Chiou admitted that both Chen and Lu didn't wear bullet-proof vests yesterday,stressing that the entire national security system will be reviewed.
Shocking by the event, the DPP and the KMT both decided to call off all campaign activities, especially those night rallies, to prevent from arousing the public's emotional action.
“We ask all supporters to keep in calm and not to show any irrational behavior,” said DPP campaign headquarters chief Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄).
Chang said that the part condemned the violence and hope that the government can arrest the person who committed such a crime.
KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰), the pan-blue camp's presidential candidate,expressed his concern to Chen and Lu, saying that he and his party hope them
passed the accident.
“We also expect that the government give the public a clear fact about the gunshot event as soon as possible,” said Lien.
Supporters from the pan-blue and pan-green camps gathered to sing and pray for the peace of the country. Chen's wife Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) and family members also went to the Presidential Office for listening to briefing.
“Thanks god, my husband is alive, I don't care about whether he wins the election is not, I just want he to be ok,” said Wu, quoting by Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文), the President of Examination Yuan, who accompanied with Wu at the Presidential Election yesterday afternoon.
During the press conference after the high-level national security meeting,Premier Yu Shyi-kun announced that the entire government is operating in normal situation since President Chen can fully take charge in his administration.
“The emergency mechanism we have adopted at the moment include that the abinet has set up a task force to cope with all possible developments, the military and police department strengthen their duty,” said Yu.
Minister of National Defense Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明) also vowed that the military is well-prepared to handle with any kind of situation, especially China's action.
“We have closely monitored the Taiwan Strait and South-East coast of China,and so far there is nothing strange,” said Tang.
The National Security Bureau, which is the government department to shoulder the responsibilities of all candidates and the head of state's security,
expressed regret to fail ensure the president and the vice president's security, saying it will review all security efforts“Our top priority is to arrest the suspect, and we will absolutely shoulder all responsibilities of our inadequate performances,” said National Security Bureau Deputy Director Wang Chin-wang (王進旺) at the press
conference.
Asking by the media to introduce the course of the event, Yu and Chiou both stressed that the government needs times to allow further investigating.
Foreign media also concern whether there is any international leader expressed concern on Taiwan's president gunshot incident, Minister of Eugene
Chien (簡又新) said that many foreign countries' ambassadors,representatives, and Taiwan's allies have contacted the government to
express their bless to Chen and Lu's health as well as Taiwan.
“Such as American Institute in Taiwan Director Douglas Paal has already contacted with us to express sympathy and solicitude for the incident,”
said Chien.
As to whether the gunshot will affect Taiwan's democracy, Chien said that since Taiwan is still a young democracy, we hope the election be be held peacefully and, “we do not want to be punished by that event at the democratic moment.”
After the medical treatment under the Chimei hospital's special team and three doctors of the president's medical task force, President Chen and Vice President Lu took the administrational chartered-plane back to Taipei around 7:30 p.m. and they retuned to residence for more rests.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique