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SCMP Reporter

TAIWAN voters yesterday defied China's missiles and gave President Lee Teng-hui an overwhelming victory in the island's first-ever presidential elections.

  The 5,813,699 pro-Lee ballots were also a mandate for the Kuomintang leader to start a fresh approach to the mainland, which was the theme of Mr Lee's campaign in the last fortnight.

  Mr Lee and running mate premier Lien Chan won 54 per cent of the vote, compared to 21.13 per cent for Dr Peng Ming-min, candidate for the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

  Former Taiwan governor Lin Yang-kang, who is supported by the pro-unification New Party, got 14.90 per cent, while independent candidate Chen Li-an won 9.98 per cent.

  Seventy-six per cent of the 14 million electorate cast their votes for Taiwan's ninth president and vice-president under the protection of about 82,000 policemen, volunteers and civil defence members.

  Thousands of supporters gathered outside the Lee-Lien campaign headquarters in Pateh Road, central Taipei, after learning the poll results.

  They waved banners and flags and cheered the winning pair as a jubilant Mr Lee and Mr Lien arrived.

  'We wish you well, President!' they chanted as Mr Lee walked on to a platform outside his campaign office.

  'We have opened the door of democracy,' said 73-year-old President Lee in his speech acknowledging victory.

   'We have full confidence in the future,' he said. 'We 21 million people together wrote a new page in Taiwan's 400 years of history.

    'From now on, we should unite together, love each other and we will never lose courage nor weaken our faith.

  'Facing threats and intimidation at this key moment, we've ended our election today. This is the call for a historical mission.'   But Mr Lee made no reference to the future relations with China in his speech which was made in Mandarin, Fukienese and English.

  He also thanked the attention of the international community and its support for Taiwan's elections.

  In Washington, the United States congratulated Taiwan on its first direct presidential election and said it hoped tensions with China would ease.

  'We congratulate the people of Taiwan on their first election. They have made great strides in the past several years toward democracy,' said White House spokesman Mary Ellen Glynn.

   'We hope to see tensions in the Taiwan Strait greatly reduced in the days to come.'   But in Beijing, a senior information official from the Taiwan Affairs Office said the change in the ways in which the leadership in Taiwan was chosen and its result could not change the fact that Taiwan was part of China.

  'There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,' the spokesman said. 'The change [of election mechanism of Taiwan] and its [election] results will not change this.'   Earlier at KMT headquarters, champagne bottles were uncorked as Mr Lee appeared with Mr Lien.

  Jubilant supporters gathered outside and chanted, 'Democracy, long life!' and 'Liberty, long life!'   Voting went on normally at the frontline islands of Quemoy and Matsu, where troops maintained a high alert in view of the People's Liberation Army's 'third wave' of sea, ground and air drills.

  For six days, China has conducted exercises close to the Taiwanese islets. China believes Mr Lee's policy of seeking wider international recognition for Taiwan disguises a plan to make the island independent.

  In Taipei, the Democratic Progressive Party's chairman Shih Ming-teh resigned last night to bear responsibility for the defeat.

  But he urged Mr Lee to support Taiwan's independence and crack down on social ills like corruption and triads.

  Defeated DPP candidate Dr Peng Ming-min said: 'The people already made a choice, and I respect it.'   Another loser Lin Yang-kang said he would continue to serve the public and fight for the island's prosperity and stability.

  New Party convenor Chen Kui-miao urged the new president to take steps to ease cross-strait tensions and promote the development of Taiwan.

  Political analysts agreed the multiple manoeuvres staged by the PLA had helped Mr Lee clinch one of the KMT's largest triumphs.

  The 54 per cent of the popular vote was significantly larger than the 46.06 per cent and 52.04 per cent that KMT candidates got in legislative and mayoral elections last year and in 1994.

  'The intimidation of the Chinese Communists has helped the Lee campaign because it has highlighted the need for Taiwanese to stay united under one leader,' said rival candidate Mr Chen.

  By contrast, the pro-independence DPP suffered a sizeable defeat. In elections in 1994 and 1995, the DPP's share of the votes was 39.42 per cent and 33.17 per cent respectively.

  Western diplomats in Beijing said the only consolation for the mainland could be that the pro-unification New Party enjoyed a slight expansion of its power base.

  The 14.90 per cent share of votes won by Lin Yang-kang was a slight improvement over the 12.95 per cent the New Party pulled off in Legislative Yuan elections last December.



Lee sweeps to victory