First job for Taiwan's president-elect Ma: fill potholes (Extra)

Mar 23, 2008, 3:59 GMT

Taipei - While Taiwan's president-elect Ma Ying-jeou is making big plans for the future, his supporters want him to include some bumpier issues - filling the nation's potholes.

A website launched prior to the March 22 presidential election invited people to list which issues they wanted the new president to address and among the top 10 were medicare for infertile couples, smooth roads, protection of rights for homosexuals and promotion of sports.

The issues one might expect a new president to address - defence, the economy and foreign policy - failed to make the top 10 on the www.HopeMap.net website.

Taiwan has notoriously bad roads, with many holes created by construction firms digging up the road to lay water and gas pipes and not filling them in afterwards. The potholes are the cause of many road accidents.

Ma Ying-jeou, from Taiwan's largest opposition won Saturday's election and will be sworn in on May 20 when President Chen Shui-bian of the ruling party DPP steps down after having served two four-year terms, the longest tenure for a Taiwan president.

When the HopeMap website closed on March 20 more than 3 million people had listed their issues for the new president to address.