President calls on public to accept election results

"I believe the transfer of power will go smoothly and in accordance with the law."

President Chen Shui-bian

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday urged the public to accept today's election result, saying he did not want to see a repeat of the election dispute that marred the presidential contest four years ago.

Chen made the remarks while receiving a US delegation led by Dana Rohrabacher, co-chair of Taiwan Caucus, at the Presidential Office yesterday morning.

He was referring to his defeat of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Lien Chan (連戰) in 2004 by less than 30,000 votes, or 0.22 percent.

A day before the vote, Chen and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) were injured in a shooting incident while campaigning in Tainan. Lien's camp accused Chen of staging the event. Calling the election unfair and filled with "many unanswered questions," Lien and his running mate, People First Party Chairman James Soong, (宋楚瑜) refused to concede defeat and said they would take legal action to have the electoral results declared invalid.

Chen said he has only one important mission after the poll today and before he steps down on May 20 and that is to hand over power.

"I myself have made history," he said. "Eight years ago, the country saw the first transfer of government. Four years ago, I won the re-election and right now I am about to finish my second term. I believe the transfer of power will go smoothly and in accordance with the law."

Comparing the country's presidential election and the selection of China's national leader, Chen said Taiwan's contest is transparent and democratic, while in China, no one challenged Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), who received 99.7 percent of the vote.

That can only happen under Chinese Communist rule, he said.