On the Scene

ON March 23, between 8 a.m and 4 p.m., nearly 11 million of the 14 million eligible voters in Taiwan went to the polls and chose the Republic of China’s president, vice president, and 334 delegates to the Third National Assembly. The calm manner in which my fellow citizens voted that day contrasted sharply with the sense of drama created by external events leading up to the election.

This election drew worldwide attention because of its historic significance. This was the first time in history that Chinese people directly elected a national president. (From 1947 until now, the president had been selected by the National Assembly.) It was indeed a great honor to have been returned to the office in which I had served since 1988 by 54 per cent of the voters. Their unambiguous endorsement of me and my running-mate, Dr. Lien Chan, represents a strong mandate for the next four years.

LT

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Lee Teng-Hui

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ON March 23, between 8 a.m and 4 p.m., nearly 11 million of the 14 million eligible voters in Taiwan went to the polls and chose the Republic of China’s president, vice president, and 334 delegates to the Third National Assembly. The calm manner in which my fellow citizens voted that day contrasted sharply with the sense of drama created by external events leading up to the election.

This election drew worldwide attention because of its historic significance. This was the first time in history that Chinese people directly elected a national president. (From 1947 until now, the president had been selected by the National Assembly.) It was indeed a great honor to have been returned to the office in which I had served since 1988 by 54 per cent of the voters. Their unambiguous endorsement of me and my running-mate, Dr. Lien Chan, represents a strong mandate for the next four years.