Taipei, March 18 (CNA) The situation in the Taiwan Strait remained calm and normal on Saturday, the day when the people of Taiwan go to the polls to elect the tenth president of the Republic of China, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
Meanwhile, the ROC armed forces are still on high alert and are closely monitoring any movement by mainland Chinese troops in case of any accidental events, the ministry's Office of Military Spokesman said.
According to the office, the ROC military, in compliance with relevant regulations, has increased surveillance of and information collection on the other side of the Taiwan Strait since 5 p.m. on Friday, and such operations will continue until 8 a.m. on Sunday.
So far, the ROC troops have no plan to upgrade their level of combat readiness nor to deploy any troops, as no sign has been found indicating that the mainland's troops have amassed for unusual deployments or for carrying out military exercises targeting Taiwan, the office said.
Emphasizing that National Defense Minister Tang Fei and Chief of the General Staff Tang Yao-ming will remain at their offices the whole day in the event that any special situation occurs in the Taiwan Strait, the office called on the public not to worry about the issue and to relax at home waiting for the election results.
Meanwhile, National Police Administration (NPA) Director-General Ting Yuan-chin said he has instructed police authorities islandwide to step up their control of public order in efforts to prevent irrational gatherings or mass protests following the election.
NPA officers stressed that the police, in accordance with the laws and the principle of administrative neutrality, have strengthened security measures at polling stations, the national ballot counting center and candidate campaign offices in order to respond swiftly to any irregularities. (By Flor Wang)
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