A cheerleader smiles as she is hoisted by colleagues on January 7 during a practice for the upcoming presidential campaign rally in Taipei for Taiwan Vice President Lien Chan, whose image looms in the background. Though Lien's ticket is backed by President Lee Teng-hui and Taiwan's powerful ruling Nationalist Party, he is dogged by a reputation for being stiff and colourless and has lagged in public opinion polls behind James Soong, who broke with the Nationalists to run as an independent, and Chen Shui-bian, candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party.

JKP/CC