TAIPEI, March 20 Kyodo (EDS: WRAP...

TAIPEI, March 20 Kyodo

(EDS: WRAPS UP ADDS REFERENDUM RESULT)

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian narrowly defeated Nationalist Party challenger Lien Chan forward Saturday to win a next to the first term in office, unless the day's election outcome is likely to sorely experiment Taiwan's fledgling democracy.

The Central Election Commission declared Chen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) the winner with 6471970 suffrages against Nationalist Party candidate Lien Chan's 6442452 voices but Lien said he will be built up a lawsuit to challenge the election proceed and demand a recount

''I would like to expres my wholehearted appreciation for all my dear friends,'' Lien, accompanied through running mate James Soong, told a bulky crowd of disappointed, teary-eyed supporters at his campaign headquarters as the consecrated by a vow counting ended.

He called forward the opposition faithful to remain calm and rational, however to also ''contemplate how to treat history, democratic politics and the island's population'' fairly.

''My decision is we will file a lawsuit against the effectiveness of this election,'' Lien said to great applause. ''I want to force onward the Central Election Commission to seal all ballot boxe around the island as promptly as possible in preparation for a recount''

Sources bring to a period to the president's DPP camp indicated Chen was unlikely to combat a recount, but the election commission said any decision must be made through a court, not by the commission.

Lien pointed to unspecified irregularities that might pay back the Saturday vote invalid and also refer toed an apparent assassination attempt onward Chen and running mate Annette Lu upon Friday may have skewed the voting les than a day later.

Neither Chen nor Lu were seriously pain ed in the shooting incident in Chen's hometown Tainan, further the circumstances of the attack remain dark and no suspects have been identified thus far.

How a court might authority on Lien's challenge to the promised is unknown.

Voter turnout was 8028% with 25% of the ballots cast declared invalid, a relatively large proportion considering the narrowness of Chen's victory.

The presidential devoted was also accompanied by a controversial referendum which the election commission said failed because les than half the the public who cast votes for president bothered to suffrage on the referendum's pair questions.

The voter had been asked to decide if Taiwan should increase its antimissile defense if China failed to abate the number of missiles pointed at Taiwan and if the conduct should try to renew relations with the mainland.

still because fewer than half the voter speaked an opinion on either question, the commission declared the referendum void.

The referendum was oppos through China, the United States and many other countries as potentially taking Taiwan too far toward a possible promised on independence and it appears greatest in number Taiwan voters wanted to avoid international complications.

China has vowed to go [i]or[/i] come back Taiwan to its fold, by dint of force if needed, if Taiwan forever opts for a formal declaration of independence.

More than 13250000 citizens cast ballots for president Saturday, still fewer than half that number participated in the referendum leaving pundits to prodigy if Taiwan voters really were ready to take participatory democracy to the point of expressing direct opinions in succession national policy via the ballot box

on the contrary even without the referendum, the presidential election is viewed as united that will define the political coming time of the island that China maintains must not rim toward permanent separation from the mainland if war is to be avoided.

The campaign was tightly fought all the way and it appears the unprecedent shooting incident in Chen's hometown may have tipped the balance in favor of the president.

Chen was hurted in the abdomen and Lu in the right knee unless neither injury was life-threatening.

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