On eve of election, it's chaotic in Taiwan and calm in Beijing
March 22, 1996
Web posted at: 2:10 p.m. EST (1910 GMT)From Correspondents Tom Mintier and Andrea Koppel
TAIPEI, Taiwan (CNN) -- On the eve of the historic election, the presidential campaign in Taiwan shifted into high-gear.
On the streets of Taipei, supporters of the candidates created traffic jams. Flags and banners draped across anything with four wheels paraded through downtown in last- minute efforts to sway undecided voters -- estimated to be nearly 40 percent of the electorate.
In southern Taiwan, President Lee Teng-hui and pro- independence candidate Peng Ming-min reached out for last- minute support in the southern port city of Kaohsiung.
President Lee worked early in the markets and late in the streets. Peng told potential voters that a vote for him was a vote for peace.
"I believe, once I'm elected, the PRC (People's Republic of China) will change its policies. Peaceful elections will win for Taiwan international respect and dignity," he said.
Although he didn't say it, the inference was that a vote for President Lee would lead to more confrontation. China's government, however, has warned of a possible armed intervention if Taiwan does seek independence.
There have been accusations of dirty tricks during the late stages of this campaign, including a scheme in which pictures of naked women were reportedly mailed to voters and with an opponent's return address on the envelope.
Students at Chiang-shu High School still mingled on the campus on Friday, but on Saturday the scene was expected to change. The school is one of thousands of polling places where Taiwan's voters will come to have their say.
Wang Jing-huei, vice-principal of Chian-shu said he's optimistic that the election will improve the situation.
"After the voting I feel mainland China and Taiwan will start negotiations again," he said. "Neither side wants a war."
But getting the talks started again may be difficult. The chairman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council on Friday said the actions by Beijing have seriously damaged cross-Strait relations.
"We will take a sober and rational view of Beijing's unreasonable behavior, treating it as just one of the many twists and turns in a course of more than four decades of cross-Strait relations," said Chang King-yuh of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council.
In Beijing, Chinese leaders were downplaying the significance of Saturday's historic vote and insisting Taiwan would remain part of a single, unified China.
"Whatever the outcome of the election, the key issue is whether in the future, the Taiwan authorities will stop their activities to create two Chinas ... and renounce its activities to split the motherland," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Shen Guofang.
While decision makers in Beijing have been closely following developments across the Taiwan Strait, people on the streets of Beijing were not particularly well-informed about the election.
That's no a surprise because the state-run press has not reported on the election -- focusing its attention instead on regular critiques of President Lee and recently concluded live-fire military maneuvers and missile tests conducted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
"I'm not too clear about the candidates running in Taiwan," said one man, "I just feel that no matter who they are they ought to have an idea as to how to bring Taiwan back to the mainland."
Others were not at all concerned with the outcome of the election. "I'm just concerned with doing my job," said vegetable seller Chen Xiamei. "I don't really understand all this other stuff."
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