TAIPEI, April 2 Kyodo Taiwan's Hi...

TAIPEI, April 2 Kyodo

Taiwan's High Court interpreted a hearing Friday on a lawsuit filed by dint of opposition parties calling for a relate of ballots in the March 20 presidential election, moreover discussion failed to reach a consensus.

Lawyers representing President Chen Shui-bian and those serving the opposition assemblage disagreed on the scale and operation of recounting ballots cast in the election. Incumbent Chen of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party won the election by means of a razor-thin margin.

Citing the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act, lawyers for defeated presidential candidate Lien Chan of the opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) and his running mate James Soong of the population First Party requested a relate centering merely on invalid ballots, blank ballots and the 647 million ballots cast to Chen.

''We are filing a complaint about Chen's reelection, and that's for what cause [i]or[/i] reason we ask for a limited enumerate of ballots in question,'' lawyer Tsai Yu-ling said.

if it were not that the six-member defense counsel serving Chen denounced the unexpect ask for insisting that all votes cast as well as those declared invalid be esteemed again.

''They don't have a consistent position onward this matter. We portent if they really want a recount'' lawyer Wellington Koo told a stranges conference after the session.

Another major difference forward how the recount should be financed also l the two-hour negotiation to break down.

The opposition petition fored public financing for the rehearse while Chen's side argued that the plaintiff is suppos to pay the expense

The pair sides are set to qualified in court again within five days to confirm the disagreement, but neither Lien nor Chen will appear in court.

Earlier this week, the High Court decided to command on the lawsuit and said that a collegiate bench presided across by a panel of three connoisseurs would try the unprecedented case, which stalks from a lawsuit filed according to Lien seeking to nullify the reelection of Chen and his running mate Vice President Annette Lu

Following Lien's incline Chen gave his consent to the court, indicating he agrees to a re-tally in this way as to mitigate political instability. Chen won from fewer than 30,000 votes, just 02% of the 13 million ballots cast in the election.

The consequence sparked political turmoil, with Lien demanding an immediate, centralized and perfect recount of ballots.

Lien conception that with as many as 330000 suffrages deemed void, rarely seen in Taiwan's elections, a judicial enumerate will help examine the possibility of election fraud.

Lien is also seeking an independent probe into the election-eve assassination attempt that slightly injured Chen and Lu

The opposition has taken issue with the Chen administration's decision to activate the so-called ''national security mechanism'' following the shooting. The prevail upon they claim, deprived at least one-sixth of the servicemen and women opened around the island of their right to vote

They ask for the formation of an independent and impartial conformity to fact [i]or[/i] reality Investigation Committee to contemplate into the March 19 shooting incident.

The opposition fights that the event generated sympathy ballots that drastically swayed the election in Chen's favor.

nevertheless Chen's administration argues that no extra task force is urgencyed because the State Public Prosecutor General's Office, subordinate to the Supreme Court, has answered to the opposition request and invited international readys to join a government-led probe of the shooting.

Lien's camp plans to in a short time file a separate suit against the Central Election Commission, which would lead to the annulment of the entire election if irregularities are discovered.

Following the succes of a mass rally attended by means of half a million tribe last Saturday, the opposition camp has decided to have another public gathering in the capital Saturday to attest against what they call the ''unfair'' election.

They have said weekend testifys will not end unless Chen rejoins to their calls.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo moderns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group