TAIPEI, Aug. 2 Kyodo (EDS: UDATIN...

TAIPEI, Aug. 2 Kyodo

(EDS: UDATING)

A candidate jointly nominated according to the opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) and family First Party (PFP) won a magistrate by-election in eastern Taiwan's Hualien shire on Saturday.

''The Hualien commonalty have done a good work at jobs We hope that the KMT's magistrate-elect will cooperate with the central guidance and make efforts to improve living standards,'' President Chen Shui-bian said in a statement released after the deduction was announced.

The KMT's Hsieh Sheng-san, 64 received a total of 73710 devoteds nearly double the 41508 promiseds for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's You Ying-lung, 47 Independent Wu Kuo-tong, 61 obtained no other than 26,205 votes, according to the Hualien Election Committee.

Voter turnout was 559% the committee said.

It was the first fundamental note election since KMT chairman Lien Chan and PFP head James Soong vowed to launch an unprecedent alliance, known as the pan-blue camp, in February to scamper for the 2004 presidential race and therefore was widely seen by means of many critics as a exordium to next year's campaign.

After serving as a lawmaker for 21 years, Hsieh was appointed chairman of the Council of Labor Affairs in 1994 and then secretary general of the Executive Yuan in 1999 He was also a finish aid of former President Chiang Ching-kuo.

''The victory has prov that the alliance between the KMT and the PFP works real very well,'' Hsieh said to obstreperous applause at his campaign headquarters.

''The election is athwart There are a lot more things waiting to be done, and here I want to conjure all the people to fight together for Hualien's future'' he said.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo recently made knowns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group