Taipei - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian on Saturday promised he will ensure a peaceful transition of power when he steps down on March 20. "You can be hundred per cent sure about peaceful transition of power on May 20. Some people said I will try to prolong my term by imposing the martial law. I won't do that," Chen said in an interview with Sanli TV on Saturday evening.
Chen said that in a democratic nation, the president has fixed terms and cannot stay in power forever like ancient Chinese emperors.
"I will not let history repeat itself. As I myself was a victim of martial law, I cannot prolong my term by launching martial law," he said.
"I promise that on May 20, I will hand over power to the new leader. In the two months from the new president is elected till his inauguration, I hope to brief him on all the state affairs and experience in running the nation," he added.
Chen, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), came to power in 2000, ending the five-decade grip on power of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT) which fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
Taiwan will hold its presidential election on March 22 and Chen will step down on May 20 when the new president is sworn in.
The KMT has vowed to regain power from the DPP. Opinion polls have shown that the KMT's presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou leads his DPP rival Frank Hsieh by about 10 per cent.
In recent months Chen has stepped up the campaign to denounce Beijing and tell the world that Taiwan is not part of China. He plans to hold a referendum on March 22 on Taiwan joining the United Nations.
The US has warned Chen not to provoke China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory.
