The good news is both are in non-critical conditions; the bad news is we’re gonna have to watch Mike (I have no eyes) Chinoy on CNN.
I just told the mainlanders in the office about this. Their response: “Yeah, so? We [PRC] probably did it.” I’m afraid that if it was the PRC, then more shit could follow in the next day. They wouldn’t just shoot Chen and then let the election go on as planned. I hope I’m wrong. We’ll all know soon.
Now we can add an apparent assassination attempt!
you would think it must swing it for him…but then you never know in taiwan…anquan diyi and all that
[quote=“X3M”]http://www.CNN.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/Taiwan.chen/index.html
If CNN say so, it should be pretty reliable to assume they have been shot.[/quote]
Nah, I won’t believe it until it’s confirmed by the People’s Daily. 
i wonder if the would be assasin was a paid agent of China. Have they found the bloke yet? Or did he get away.
This will make the elections and riots afterwards really weird. It’s a good thing he didn’t die. KMT is cooked goose now. It’s all over for them.
Chen 80%, Lien 20%.
The GIO has not made any statement on this as far as I know, and I’m at the GIO right now.
Like Bear said, I watched the press conference on TV and the presidential spokesperson clearly said “gun attack” 槍擊.
A colleague just came into the office to tell me that Chen has been shot, which gave me a big shock. I rushed to check on the BBC website, but they’re just reporting that he was injured in the stomach, and Annette Lu hurt too, by a firecracker, but their injuries are not serious. If it was an accident, as seems most likely, then it’s no big deal. If the firecracker was deliberately thrown by an opposition supporter, then things might turn quite ugly here.
THe Presidential Office has “confirmed” that it was a gunshot.
can anyone say sympathy vote?
4 more years of Chen!
Maybe less if China has anything to say about it.
Ski
Officials: Taiwan President, VP Shot
6 minutes ago
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu were shot Friday while campaigning, but both were conscious and in stable condition, officials said.
“He and the vice president were shot,” an official with the president’s office told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Both the president and vice president were injured,” said the official, who declined to provide more details.
A senior presidential official later said both politicians were conscious and in stable condition.
CTI cable news had quoted unidentified police officials as saying the president was injured by celebratory fireworks while campaigning in the southern city of Tainan.
probably some maniac. he’d more likely be dead if that was the case
The Beeb is now citing other reports suggesting that Chen may, indeed, have been shot.
James Huang, official presidental spokesman, is being interviewed on CNN now - rather embarrassingly too, condsidering his English skills… 
CNN: Can you confirm the president has been shot in the abdomen?
James Huang: Abba dom? Abba done a mom?
CNN: In the STOMACH. Can you confirm Chen Shui-bian has been shot in the STOMACH?
so the bullet hit Lu VP first on the knee cap, it then riocheted up to the PResident’s stomach and grazed the skin surface? One bullet, and Lu passed it over to CHen?
[Weird, a Taiwanese friend of mine, a week ago, just joking, of course, told me when I went to visit his girlfriend in the hospital last weekend, that “did you hear? Chen’s been shot!” WHERE i asked, believing him, since i had not watched TV yet that day. “In Tainan”
For 10 minutes I beleived it until he came back into the room and said he was joking. i told him that was not a funny joke. but was glad that it had just been a practical joke back then.]
Then today, I read Wolf’s first post here and OMIGOD!
The mainlanders in my office reckon Chen organised it himself!
Ha ha!
More like a nutty old egg tosser from yore. Sad day for Taiwan’s democracy regardless.
Not heard what happened to the shooter?
HG
Any word on what type of gun was used? It must have been a small-caliber handgun if neither was seriously hurt. Or did it go through “bulletproof” glass in the limo first?
I think if it was an assination attempt by the PRC or KMT, they wouldn’t have failed. It’s just some nutter.
who shot a-bian? i’m optioning the movie rights