Taiwanese president Mr Chen Shui-bian and his defeated opponent remained deadlocked today in a row over last week's close election that threatens months of political paralysis.
Protests by thousands of supporters of opposition contender Mr Lien Chan outside the presidential palace dragged into a fifth day, and there was no sign that either man was willing to back off from the confrontation.
Mr Chen offered yesterday to meet Nationalist leader Mr Lien if the protesters outside his office dispersed.
Mr Lien said those conditions were unreasonable, insisting a meeting was possible while the protests continued.
He has demanded a recount of last week's election, which he lost by 30,000 votes out of 13 million cast just hours after an assassination attempt against Mr Chen created a groundswell of sympathy for the president.
Lawmakers from the two sides had cancelled a parliament committee session at the last minute, dashing hopes for passage of a proposal making a recount automatic if the margin of difference in an election was 1 per cent or less.
Mr Chen had proposed breaking the stalemate by revising the election law retroactively, but the mistrust between the pro-independence president and Mr Lien, also defeated by Mr Chen in 2000, has prevented progress.