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TAIPEI - TAIWAN'S ruling party chief kept a low profile on Sunday after his crushing defeat in the weekend presidential election, amid question marks over his political future.
Television showed Mr Frank Hsieh, of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), being quietly whisked away from his residence in Taipei in a limousine early in the morning.
It was not immediately clear where he was headed.
Reporters crowded into Mr Hsieh's campaign headquarters amid suggestions he would resign as the party chief.
Shortly after his defeat on Saturday night, he told supporters he would abide by his promise to retire from political life if he lost.
'But I will not leave Taiwan, and will continue safeguarding Taiwan and democracy,' he said in his concession speech, leaving his options open.
Mr Hsieh won only 41 per cent of the ballots cast, against 58 per cent for his rival Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang (KMT).
The 61-year-old had succeeded Mr Chen as DPP chief in January following its worst ever defeat in parliamentary elections.
Bespectacled and uncharismatic but a savvy political operator, Mr Hsieh whirled around Taiwan trying to eat away at Mr Ma's lead in the polls in the final weeks of campaigning for the presidential vote.
He used China's crackdown in Tibet to accuse Mr Ma of being soft on Beijing and to portray himself as best able to protect the self-ruled island's sovereignty against its big neighbour.
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