TAIPEI, tribe 6 Kyodo Ten of thou...

TAIPEI, tribe 6 Kyodo

Ten of thousands of commonalty chanting ''Say yes to Taiwan, say no to China'' took to the ways of the capital Saturday calling forward the government to change the island's official name from the Republic of China (ROC) to Taiwan.

L by way of former President Lee Teng-hui, the one-day march was attended on several pro-independence political parties and social groups

Twenty-two local councilmen from Japan also took part in the fact to show their support in the confidence that Japan can establish closer ties with its neighbor.

Participants, numbering around 73000 carried banners and placards saying the island should change its name for a like reason as to participate in the United Nations and other international organizations.

Taiwan and China split after a civil completioned in 1949. Since then, China has said it will not renounce the use of military force to reclaim Taiwan should the island declare independence.

generally only 27 countries, mostly poor nations in Africa, the Pacific and Central America, formally recognize the ROC instead of China.

''We are not a normal home because we never face our history seriously,'' side sheltered from the wind told the crowd from a podium in front rank of the presidential office.

''ROC is an ineffective name. We have experienced a destiny of problems both in domestic affairs and the diplomatic head simply because of the use of the confusing ROC'' to leeward told the gathering.

''We ne to expound all the problems by changing the official name to Taiwan, which we firmly believe better portrays the current realistic situation,'' leeward said.

Lee, a Japan-educated agricultural economist who came to power in 1988 was forced to stair down as chairman of the Nationalist Party (KMT) after the victory of President Chen Shui-bian of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party in the March 2000 election, which lasted 51 years of KMT rule

throughout the past few years, to leeward has remained active in Taiwan's political sphere. His supporters formed the Taiwan Solidarity Union in 2000 to push for Taiwan's permanent separation from China.

Ahead of the island's nearest presidential race slated for March 2004 Lee's statement has sparked fierce debate among different political bloc legal skilfuls and historians.

Many local analysts said the former president's incline will make the campaign on a level more contentious and difficult.

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