Taiwan kicks off campaign for December polls

Taipei country mayor candidate Su Chen-chang of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, waves to supporters

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Prayers and scuffles marked the start of a colorful political campaign for next month's general elections in Taiwan.

Many candidates kicked off campaigning with stops at Buddhist temples to pray and markets to shake hands with voters.

Taipei's streets were lined with campaign banners, flags and billboards. Sound trucks drove through the city's main streets blaring music and campaign speeches.

Analysts predict that the result of the December 1 polls with reshape the island's political landscape.

The once-formidable Nationalist Party is expected to lose its parliamentary majority, after the defeat of its political monopoly in last year's presidential elections.

The Nationalists hold about 110 seats in the current parliament, while the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has 66 seats.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Frank Hsieh predicts a neck-and-neck race with the Nationalists, with the two parties grabbing around 84 seats each.

Analysts have said no single party would likely emerge with a clear majority in the 225-member chamber.

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A record 455 candidates will contest 176 directly elected parliamentary seats after election officials disqualified three candidates.

Another 49 seats will be distributed, according to the proportion of total votes.

A total of 89 candidates will vie for 23 mayoral seats, according to the Central Election Commission.

Coalition government

Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian(R) joins his hands with Frank Hsieh, Chairman of ruling Democratic Progressive Party, during an elections rally in October

President Chen Shui-bian said his DPP would form a post-election coalition government to break legislative gridlock.

President Chen has complained bitterly about the obstructive tactics of a Nationalist-led opposition alliance, which has blocked his initiatives in parliament at almost every turn.

Analysts say anything is possible, but a DPP-Nationalist coalition would be particularly shaky.

Nationalist Party chairman Lien Chan meanwhile predicted the DPP would not be able to muster enough votes to become parliament's biggest party.

"The DPP will not be able to win more than half of the seats in parliament. Support for the DPP will not increase. But if we split, the DPP will benefit," Lien told a campaign rally.

Lien urged "friends of the Nationalist Party to come home" in an apparent reference to two splinter parties.

Analysts predict a further split in the Nationalists' ranks if they fare badly in next month's elections.

Economy first

The economy will be a big issue in this year's elections, with Taiwan's gross domestic product expected to post the biggest contraction since 1975 and unemployment at record levels.

Most business leaders and opposition politicians now want closer integration with China to rescue the faltering domestic economy.

Others are worried Taiwan would become a hostage to Beijing, which has threatened to attack if Taiwan declared independence.

China considers Taiwan a renegade province that should be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Scuffles

As politicians kicked off their campaign, a parliamentary candidate from the tiny Green Party scuffled with guards who stopped him from storming the Nationalist headquarters.

No one was injured in the incident.

In central Taiwan, a parliamentary candidate from the New Party hurled eggs at former president Lee Teng-hui during an election campaign rally late on Tuesday, prompting an angry crowd to punch and kick the assailant.

The eggs missed Lee, who stiffened briefly onstage and urged the crowd to ignore the commotion and continued to address the rally outside a temple in Yunlin county.

Lee was stumping for a candidate of the fledgling Taiwan Solidarity Union party.

"He betrayed the (Nationalist) party to seek power and wealth. He brought calamity to the country and the people," Ho Chen-sheng screamed as he was led away by police.

He suffered a minor concussion and was rushed to hospital.

On Wednesday, a group of supporters of the Solidarity Union scuffled with police during a protest outside the campaign office of a New Party candidate in the southern city of Kaohsiung.