Taipei, May 20 (CNA) The Republic of China's political history entered a new stage on Saturday, with Chen Shui-bian, a former political dissident, taking office as the ROC's 10th president.
Chen, 50, took oath of office in a ceremony held at the Presidential Office. Judicial Yuan President Weng Yueh-sheng supervised the swearing-in ceremony, while Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng handed the ROC's national seal to Chen.
During the ceremony, Annette Lu was also sworn in as the ROC's 10th vice president. Lu is the ROC's first female vice president.
After the ceremony, Chen bid farewell to his predecessor Lee Teng-hui who ended his 12-year presidential stint by passing the helm of state to Chen.
Chen, a lawyer-turned-politician, has been Taipei mayor and legislator. He is the ROC's first president from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party. Chen has soft-pedaled his pro-independence stand since he won the March 18 presidential election in an effort to avoid provoking mainland China and maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait. (By Sofia Wu)
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