Concern over this issue prompted President Chen to state before his departure that he would remain commander-in-chief of the military forces, and that he would maintain hot lines to every cabinet-level agency. The president said that there was no need for an acting president because he had taken painstaking precautions to ensure domestic political stability during his absence.
為此，總統府對外表示，總統仍掌三軍統帥，同時與國內各部會都有專線聯絡，對穩定國內政情已有萬全準備，沒有代理總統的問題。