KMT retains slim majority in legislature with 114 seats

The "pan-blue" camp grabbed 114 seats of the 225-member Legislature, and its "pan-green" rival 101 seats. Ten seats went to independents.

"This is the moment we've been waiting for," said Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan, whose party enjoyed the biggest increase in seats of all by managing to lure a large chunk of support from its ally, the People First Party.

"This is not just the victory for the KMT, the PFP or the "pan-blue" camp. This is the victory for the Republic of China," Lien said, in an apparent rebuke of the president's attempt to create a new Constitution for the nation.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party was disappointed with only a gain of two seats to 89, and a rise in vote share to 37.98 percent from 33.4 percent. But President Chen conceded defeat.

"The result is still a long way from what we expected," said Chen. "But we accept it."

Both Chen and Lien raised the hope of post-election reconciliation by calling for negotiations and cooperation in the Legislature, where operations have been marred by confrontations between the two camps over the past three years.

DPP secretary general and his deputy, Chang Chun-hsiung and Lee Ying-yuan respectively, offered to resign over the defeat.

A further breakdown within each bloc showed that the KMT enjoyed a gain of 11 seats to 79 from the 68 seats it won in the 2001 elections, while the PFP suffered a loss of 12 seats to 34 from 46.

The "pan-blue" camp's tiny member, the New Party, managed to keep its only seat. But some NP candidates running under the KMT banner emerged victorious.

The DPP recorded a slight increase of two seats to 89, which were far short of the majority it had hoped for. Its ally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union, lost one seat and now has 12.

The "pan-green" side gained two more seats than in the last election, with an increase in vote share to 46.26 percent from 41.2 percent.

The blue camp lost one seat, but maintained its vote share of 49.81 percent.

Lien said the election results showed that the people are placing their hope on the opposition camp.

PFP Chairman James Soong said his party sacrificed itself for unity of the "pan-blue" camp.

The opposition won 90 of the 176 seats that are directly elected by voters, while the president's group won 76 seats, the Central Election Commission said.

Another 49 seats -- legislators at large and overseas Chinese -- will be divided by the parties according to the number of votes they won in the direct election.

Voter turnout was relatively low at 59.16 percent, compared to last election's 66.16 percent.

Competition was fierce, but the campaigning was lackluster, as voters were hoping for calm after a tumultuous presidential election in March.

"So far voters seem to show little interest," a policeman at a polling station at an elementary school in Hsintien city was cited by AFP as saying.

"I'm fed up with the mudslinging of the election campaign," said Kernel Chung, 49, who works for an electronics company.

"Few candidates came up with constructive proposals in the run up to the vote. I'm glad it's over."

Chung, a father of three, said he was not worried if the DPP and its allies would gain a slim majority in parliament for the first time.

His argument was echoed by 47-year-old government employee Kao Shu-lien, whose husband has business in China.

"The opposition's warning (of tensions) is way too exaggerated. They had issued identical warnings before but the warnings were not realized," Kao said.

"Under such circumstances, why not let Chen have a try?" she said, citing the president's assertion that his planned new Constitution would have nothing to do with independence.

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