TAIPEI -- With five months to go before Taiwan's presidential election, the campaign is heating up between the incumbent, President Chen Shui-bian, leader of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, and the opposition Kuomintang's (KMT) Lien Chan.
Both the DPP and KMT are desperate to win since either camp faces the possibility of a breakup if it loses the March 20 election, observers say.
A parliamentary election is expected to be held at the end of 2004, and the party in power stands to enjoy an advantage to carry that vote as well.