Taiwanese leader Chen Shui-bian was in a statistical tie with his opponent before next week's presidential vote, according to a poll released Tuesday. The survey by the United Daily News reported that 38 percent of those polled backed Chen, while 41 percent supported the challenger, ex-Vice President Lien Chan. The survey's margin of error of 2.6 percentage points means the two are in a statistical dead heat. The newspaper poll was one of the last before the vote because Taiwanese law prohibits the release of polls 10 days before elections.
In an interview with TVBS cable news Tuesday, Chen predicted that the victorious candidate would only win an additional 3 percent to 5 percent of the vote. Chen wouldn't say that he expected to win, but he said that he was sure that he would get more than the 39.3 percent of the votes that he won in the three-way race in 2000. "I'm extremely confident," Chen told TVBS. Lien has promised voters he will do a better job managing the economy and improving relations with rival China. Chen has said that he will assure that the island's economic recovery will continue. The president also says he's the only one who can protect Taiwan from China's threats. |