Contested_results Taiwan_presidential_election,_2004

(official announcement of candidates; official announcement of results)

after 13,749 polling places had reported, lien appeared before campaign headquarters , demanded recount calling vote unfair . demanded full inquiry assassination attempt on chen had happened day before, characterizing surrounded clouds of suspicion, seeming fuel theories had been staged chen re-elected.

on next day, kmt filed several lawsuits in major cities , lien led 20,000 supporters in march presidential office , staged night sit-in. first set of lawsuits thrown out because filed before winner had been officially declared. sit-ins held in front of courthouses across taiwan, protests becoming violent. high court ordered ballot boxes sealed, per lien s demand. protesters continued camp on ketagalan boulevard outside presidential office, despite taipei mayor ma ying-jeou s calls on sunday night have people return work. on monday morning, hundreds still remained, numbers swelling 10,000 in evening. crowds still remained until 1 week later, demanding recount , international investigation apparent assassination attempt.

on march 23, president chen issued 3 directives quell contested results:

the legislative yuan should revise election laws allow automatic recount if margin of victory less 1% of votes. law, if passed, retroactively applies 2004 elections
if law passed, president agrees have recount possible , expects lien acknowledge results recount.
since president has shown goodwill in accepting pan-blue coalition s demand recount, demonstrators in front of presidential mansion should disperse , protests stopped.

the legislature yuan convened on march 26 discuss passage of law, measure not put vote. pan-blue coalition demanded recount executive order, bypassing legislature; chen claimed had no such right, , doing amount declaring martial law.

chen s controversial victory officially confirmed central election commission on march 26, 2004. pan-blue protesters stormed , hurled eggs @ cec in response.

on march 27, 500,000 protesters massed in front of presidential office (where protesters had remained week). lien told crowd had counted more 1,000 election irregularities (though not specific), urged crowd disperse, promising more protests in future if demands not met. chen agreed set independent task force investigate shooting , invited henry lee leader.

at daybreak on march 28, 1000 riot police moved ketagelan boulevard forcibly remove last 200 protesters remaining. protest held on following saturday, april 3, in 15,000 people attended. protest deemed illegal , violently broken police.

on march 29, chen , lu signed letters promising not contest newly re-filed pan-blue petition recount, bypassing lengthy judicial inquiry. on april 2, high court gave both sides 5 days agree on means conduct recount. meanwhile, pan-blue coalition dropped demand round of voting disenfranchised members of military , police. april 7, procedural agreement recount still had not been reached , pan-blue held rally following saturday, time more 100,000 strong. protest peaceful of day, several hundred demonstrators tried storm president s office in evening. police fired water cannons push protesters.

a second lawsuit, filed on april 5 , refiled on april 7, charged central election commission improperly allowed presidential election occur concurrently referendum , failed postpone after apparent assassination attempt. lawsuit sought annul results of election. rejected high court on november 4, 2004, pan-blue coalition appealing supreme court. court asked pan-blue pay cost of lawsuit.

a judicial recount under jurisdiction of special panel of high court began on may 10 , ended on may 18. conducted 460 teams situated in 21 courthouses across taiwan area. each team comprised 7 members - 1 judge, 2 members each district court , local government election authorities, , 2 witnesses each representing plaintiff (pan-blue alliance) , defendant (pan-green alliance). disputed votes sent high court in taipei verification. after recount, chen confirmed winner of election smaller margin (25,563 29,518).

the high court ruled election legitimate in both lawsuits , turned down appeals. judges declared in 2nd lawsuit voter lists did not need considered evidence despite reports widespread election fraud found in voter lists.

in late 2005, central election commission ruled video cameras no longer allowed in voting stations , took measures remove practices such stamping of id s prevent repeat voting.