Former vice president Lee Yuan-tsu dies at 93

Taipei, March 8 (CNA) Lee Yuan-tsu (李元簇), who served as vice president under Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), died at the age of 93 at his home in Miaoli County on Wednesday, after a long battle with kidney disease.

Lee had not eaten for more than 10 days prior to his death, surviving only on nutritional injections, Chen Chin-ting (陳進丁), a close family friend and former house steward, told CNA that day.

Lee passed away peacefully at 4:15 a.m., with his family by his side, said Chen, leader of the Coast Guard Administration's Taoyuan Reconnaissance Brigade.

Lee Yuan-tsu of the Kuomintang (KMT) was the eighth vice president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 1990 to 1996.

He previously served as a judge, president of National Chengchi University, education minister, justice minister and secretary-general to the president.

After retiring in 1996, Lee settled in Miaoli County's Toufen City, where he led a low-key life away from the public spotlight.

(By Kuan Jui-ping and Christie Chen)ENDITEM/AW