Taiwan is moving closer toward resolving its bitter post-election dispute as the island's top court starts deliberating on the opposition's petition challenging President Chen Shui-bian's narrow re-election.
In a letter to the High Court, President Chen Shui-bian Tuesday agreed to a recount demanded by the opposition Koumintang, or KMT. Three judges now will decide when and how a recount of the March 20th presidential election results will be held.

The KMT claims that voting irregularities occurred in the March 20 election. It also claims that the election-eve shooting of the president affected the outcome of the ballot, suggesting it may have been staged.

President Chen won by a narrow margin of 30,000 votes. More than 300,000 ballots were deemed invalid, and the opposition wants them examined. Taiwan has been thrown into political turmoil since election day, with thousands of opposition supporters protesting in the capital, Taipei.

Despite the KMT's court petition for a recount, the island's election commission Tuesday certified Mr. Chen as the winner. Holding his certificate, President Chen says it is heavier than it appears because it is a mandate from the island's 23 million people.

Also Tuesday, U.S. forensic experts met with President Chen to investigate the assassination attempt, in which he was lightly wounded. The head of the team, Cyril Wecht, told reporters it is unlikely the shooting was faked. "It was a fresh, clean wound," he says. "The blood was moist, so it is not anything that had been around for a long time."

Vice President Annette Lu also was slightly wounded in the attack.

Police have not arrested any suspects in the shooting.