Taiwan poll dispute goes to court

US forensic experts are investigating the shooting

Taiwan's opposition has filed a lawsuit in the country's high court to contest the result of the island's recent presidential election.

Opposition leader Lien Chan is demanding a recount, as well as an inquiry into the election-eve shooting of President Chen Shui-bian.

The president was re-elected by fewer than 30,000 votes, prompting critics to say he had won a sympathy vote.

The lawsuit questions Mr Chen's victory, citing poll irregularities.

It also asks the court to look into Mr Chen's shooting and to rule on whether a decision to activate the national security mechanism had affected the election outcome.

POLL RESULTS Chen Shui-bian: 6,471,970 (50.11%) Lien Chan: 6,442,452 (49.89%) 337,297 invalid ballots Turnout: 80.28% Source: Central Election Commission Long-term damage Q&A: Election 'conspiracy'

Mr Lien, of the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party, says about 200,000 soldiers and police were unable to vote because of the security alert. But Mr Chen says the move did not lead to any increase in military deployment.

The opposition plans to file another lawsuit later in the week, seeking to nullify the election.

Mr Chen has said he would ask the courts to order an immediate recount once the opposition had filed a legal petition.

Earlier on Monday, top officials from the two political parties met to try to resolve the political crisis, but failed to set a date for a face to face meeting between the president and his political rivals.

Mr Lien had filed a court challenge to the 20 March election within hours of the result.

But the bid was stalled pending the official confirmation of the result, which came last Friday.

Forensic investigation

The BBC's Caroline Gluck in Taipei says the opposition's tactics seem to be to keep up the pressure on the president with new attempts to get the election result overturned in the courts, while at the same time taking part in talks to try to end the dispute.

Lien Chan wants a recount

Meanwhile, three US forensics experts have arrived in Taiwan to help the authorities investigate the shooting, which injured Mr Chen and Vice-President Annette Lu. They spent Monday in the southern city of Tainan, where the shooting took place.

The Taiwan government, keen for the investigation to be seen to be open, has said a famous Taiwanese-American forensic expert, Henry Lee, would also be helping.

Mr Lee, who played a prominent role in the OJ Simpson case in the US, is due to arrive in Taiwan next month.

Taiwan's central election commission has said a recount could be completed within two days if it was carried out by counting stations throughout the island.

It would take longer if it was centralised in the capital Taipei.