On Wednesday opposition lawmakers in Taiwan presented new
evidence to prove the dubiousness of the authority's investigation
into an election-eve shooting in 2004 that led to Chen Shui-bian's
succession as the island's leader for a second term.
At a press conference the opposition lawmakers-led "truth
investigation committee" said bullet shells found at the scene were
not the correct fit for guns made by the authority-accused
suspected weapons maker.?
The inner diameter of the gun barrel manufactured by the
suspects was 9 millimeters and wasn"t compatible with the two
bullet shells found which have outer diameters of 8.9 and 9.1
millimeters, the committee said, according to local media.
Opposition lawmakers of the island's "Legislative Yuan" urged
the opening of the shooting probe and asked the legislature to
order the authority to co-operate with the investigation of the
"truth investigation committee."
On March 19, 2004, the pair of election candidates -- Chen
Shui-bian and Lu Hsiu-lien of the Democratic Progressive Party were
riding in an open Jeep when they were shot while campaigning in the
southern city of Tainan. The two received slight
injuries.?
The next day Chen and Lu defeated their opponents, KMT Chairman
Lien Chan and PFP Chairman James Soong, by a razor-thin margin.
Though the authority concluded their investigation in 2005
saying the shooting was not directed and staged by Chen's
campaigners the opposition party members and a great many others
have repeatedly voiced doubts over the probe result.
(Xinhua News Agency November 23, 2006)