All 16.5 million ballots printed for the March 20 poll will be re-examined under High Court supervision amid tight security.

Some 480 teams comprising seven or eight judges, lawyers and representatives from Chen's Democratic Progressive Party and the Kuomintang-led opposition joined the recount.

Both camps urged supporters to stay calm before the court makes a final ruling on the disputed result, which they said was unlikely before Chen's May 20 inauguration.

According to Taiwan's election law, Chen is considered the winner unless the recount proves his KMT opponent Lien Chan won the poll.

Chen won re-election by fewer than 30,000 votes, or 0.22 percent of the ballot, following an election-eve shooting that the opposition claims swung the vote in his favor.

The Japan Times Weekly: May 15, 2004
(C) All rights reserved