The President of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian, has been re-elected there by a margin of under 30,000 votes out of 13.25m.
Opposition candidate Lien Chan said the election had been unfair and asked that it be declared invalid. He added that he wanted all ballot boxes to be sealed and seized.
Polls closed at 8am Irish time in the election, which went ahead after President Chen escaped an apparent assassination attempt. Before the shooting, opinion polls had shown Mr Chen's support to be neck-and-neck with that of his sole opposition, Lien Chan.
Vice President Annette Lu also survived the assassination attempt in the southern city of Tainan; both had minor bullet wounds. The Taiwan President appeared on national television after the attack to give assurances that he was well, and that national security was unaffected.
Beijing, which claims Taiwan is nothing more than a renegade province which should be reunited with the mainland, has criticised the referendum. It fears the vote is a step down the road to independence which it had always promised to counter with force if necessary.
