Conspiracy theories rampant in Taiwan

By Seattle Times news services

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"This is very strange," said Chen Yu-chun, a political expert at the Chinese Culture University in Taipei.

It all began Friday, when bullets nicked President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu as they campaigned. The shots, which caused only minor injuries, turned out to be a life-saver for Chen, who was trailing challenger Lien Chan by up to 6 percentage points, then apparently won a narrow victory yesterday.

No one has been arrested in the shooting, and no one has claimed responsibility, leaving people to blame just about everyone from China and the participating political parties to a gambling ring that stood to drop a fortune if Lien won.

Among the rumors feeding the speculation:

• Chen used the attack as a pretext to activate the national security apparatus, meaning 200,000 military and police — traditionally Nationalists — were too busy to vote.

• The invalidated ballots — 337,297 in a race won by 29,158 votes — were three times the number rejected in the 2000 presidential election.

• Stories that Chen, while running for elected office in Tainan 18 years ago, appeared at an election eve rally wheeling an intravenous drip and claiming that he had been poisoned by the opposition Nationalists. He reportedly appeared healthy the next day.

• The hospital where Chen was taken Friday was not the one designated by the presidential guard to treat the leader in case of emergencies. It was also farther away from the scene of the shooting than the more modern hospital that was designated.

• The seemingly relaxed security around the president before the shooting. He stood in a roofless vehicle driven slowly through a crowded, two-lane street and did not wear a bulletproof vest.

Compiled from Reuters, The Associated Press and The New York Times.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company