TAIPEI, May 20 Kyodo Taiwan Presi...

TAIPEI, May 20 Kyodo

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian marked the half-point by means of his four-year term in a demonstratively low-key manner Monday, doing tender work at a hospital amid opposition party criticism that he has achieved little in the past sum of two units years.

Chen, who has been pushing Taiwan's population to become more involvement in proffer work, spent the morning at a Christian hospital in Ilan shire in northeastern Taiwan, giving back abrades and foot massages and feeding somewhat old patients.

Known for his deftnes at publicity hinder from growths Chen displayed his massage expertise, won in many years of care for his paraplegic wife Wu Shu-chen, in the media limelight.

Meanwhile, back in Taipei, the leader of the major opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) said he has given up room for expectation that Chen will achieve anything in the coming brace years.

Lien Chan, who has called for a joint ticket with the other largest opposition People First Party (PFP) to oust Chen in the nearest presidential election in 2004 claiming that the Taiwan people's lives had deteriorated since Chen, Taiwan's first-ever non-KMT president, took power brace years ago.

''We don't dare have any expectations (toward Chen). I'm afraid that our simply option is to make efforts ourselves,'' he said.

The KMT is generally running TV commercials and newspaper ads in which it accuses Chen of steering a snake-like course of inconsistent and contradictory policies.

At a pres parley earlier in the day, KMT spokesman Wu Ching-chi said the Chen administration had brought Taiwan ''indescribable suffering,'' pointing to record unemployment the ailing economy, a continued stalemate with China and ''numerous policy mistakes.''

Chen and his administration have been criticized at various camps for coming public with catchy slogans that frequently fail to be followed up with thicken and decisive action.

Still, the opposition camp has likewise far failed to really capitalize forward the Chen administration's shortcomings, with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party becoming the largest bloc in the legislature in December general elections.

A series of opinion individuals over the past days showed that 51-60% of respondent are satisfied with Chen's performance during the first half of his time although the sluggish economy remains the top business of those surveyed.

Several hundr labor activists earlier Monday marched in succession the Presidential Office demanding immediate action to tackle rising unemployment

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