Ma Ying-jeou brings fans into line

"I will count five," Ma told the hundreds of people who gathered to wait for his return home from a morning jogging.

"Then, line up in queue," ordered the president-elect like a drill sergeant giving orders to his recruits in boot camp.

They obeyed. They had to, because they wanted to shake his hands, pose with him for a picture or get autographs.

Ma obliged.

But starting today, the president-elect will not shake hands with fans. The crowd is likely to get out of control, his aides said.

"So President-elect Ma won't comply," one Ma assistant pointed out.

Following the encounter with the cheering crowd, Ma went on a trip to southern Taiwan to thank voters for the support that helped him win a landslide victory in the presidential election last Saturday.

He visited Kaohsiung, Fengshan, Pingtung and Miaoli.

In Pingtung, fans jostled against each other to vie for a place nearer Ma to have picture after group picture taken. It took more than 40 minutes to complete the long photo session.

A tea reception was held with the Kaohsiung County Council in Fengshan to celebrate Ma's election. He thanked participants for their support.

Ma promised to support the special municipality of Kaohsiung, whose mayor is Chen Chu of the now opposition Democratic Progressive Party.

"The central government," Ma said, "will give due financial support to the special municipality, regardless of who the mayor is."

Thousands of Ma supporters crowded the county stadium at Miaoli to greet the president-elect.

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