President Chen Shui-bian's (
Secretary-General to the Presidential Office Chiou I-jen telephoned chief aides of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) early yesterday morning to arrange the meeting, the sources said.
"We are waiting for a response from the Lien-Soong camp so that we can determine the exact time, venue and agenda for the planned meeting," one of Chiou's aides said.
Chiou contacted the Lien-Soong camp after Chen declared at a news conference Saturday evening that he was willing to meet with the defeated presidential candidates without preconditions.
On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of thousands of pan-blue camp supporters thronged the streets surrounding the Presidential Office, demanding a vote recount and an independent inquiry into a failed assassination attempt against Chen that the opposition camp claimed had unfairly won Chen sympathy votes.
Hours later, Chen responded to the requests at an evening news conference, saying that as long as the pan-blue presidential contenders filed either an annulment or a recount lawsuit, he would sign a letter of consent to allow for an immediate and complete ballot recount regardless of whether evidence of election fraud is provided.
"I'm not afraid of the recount, and it is my commitment to fully accept the results of the recount whether or not they are in my favor. I hope that KMT Chairman Lien and PFP Chairman Soong will be able to do the same," Chen said.
He retracted a request that Lien and Soong disperse the demonstrators on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office before meeting.
"I hope to meet with the two pan-blue alliance leaders on Monday, unconditionally," Chen said.
The rally on Ketagalan Boulevard was to officially end at 6pm on Saturday, but some demonstrators refused to leave the site. Outnumbered by police, some protesters left reluctantly but calmly early yesterday morning, while others struggled briefly.
Some moved to the nearby Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall to continue protesting.
The end of the week-long demonstration outside the Presidential Office came as a relief for many residents.
Commenting on today's possible meeting between Chen and Lien and Soong, DPP legislative caucus whip Tsai Huang-liang (
"The president has shown his sincerity, " he said.
Tsai added that he hopes both Lien and Soong can display sincerity and broadmindedness and contribute toward "drawing a vision for the nation."
He said the meeting should focus on cooperation between parties as well as cross-strait relations, instead of dwelling on disputes over the election.
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