Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian AP PHOTO

Chen's popularity rating rose to 26 percent after his Democratic Progressive Party won the race in Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second biggest city, in the elections.

His rating was 23 percent in early November when his wife, Wu Shu-chen, was indicted on charges of embezzling from a secret diplomatic fund under presidential control.

In the mayoral race in the capital, Taipei, the ruling DPP lost by 13 percentage points to the Nationalist candidate.

The Japan Times Weekly: Dec. 16, 2006
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