Cablegate: 15 New Southern Taiwan Legislators - An

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 TAIPEI 004037

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
DEPT FOR EAP/TC

FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV TW
SUBJECT: 15 New Southern Taiwan Legislators - An
Introduction

1. (SBU) Thirty-three incumbents and 15 new
legislators were elected from Southern Taiwan
districts in the December 11 Legislative Yuan (LY)
election. Twelve of the 15 new LY members have
advanced degrees, including three PhD's and nine
Master's degrees. Overall, the new LY members from
the South, spread across parties, are more educated
and slightly younger (average age 47) than those they
replaced. Virtually all are either well-connected to
"national"-level political figures or are long-time
political operatives at the local level.

2. (SBU) Background on the new Southern Taiwan LY
members:

Kaohsiung City
--------------

3. (SBU) District One (Northern Kaohsiung) -- Two
incumbents were re-elected: Lin Jin-sing (DPP) and
Luo Shih-hsiung (KMT). And, four newcomers were
elected:

-- Lee Kun-tze (DPP) - Born in 1964, Lee has a
Master's Degree in Political Science from National
Cheng Chi University. Prior to running for the LY,
Lee served as a Kaohsiung City Councilman (he was one
of only four DPP city councilors not involved in a
major vote buying scandal in December 2002). Lee is
the nephew of Chen Chu, Chairwoman of Taiwan's Council
of Labor. According to a 2002 article in the
Journalist Magazine, Chen Chu and Lee Kun-tze hail
from Ilan originally and are seen as been members of
the "Ilan gang," a group of DPP officials that have
ties to Premier Yu Shyi-kun and are associated with
the New Tide faction in the DPP. Lee also once served
as an assistant to now-Justice Minister Chen Ding-nan,
another member of the "Ilan gang."

-- Chang Hsien-yao (PFP) - Born in 1963, Chang has a
Ph.D. in Political Science from the Sorbonne. A close
advisor to PFP Chairman Soong Chu-yu, Chang is
Director of the PFP's Policy Research Center. Chang
is also a Member of the Board of the Straits Exchange
Foundation (SEF), and an Assistant Professor in the
Graduate Department of Taipei's Chinese Culture
University. A resident of Taipei, Chang moved to
Kaohsiung just prior to the LY election in order to
run as the sole PFP candidate in Kaohsiung's Northern
District, an area that is home to the Tsoying Naval
Base, Taiwan's Marine Corps and a large population of
retired military.

-- Guan Bi-ling (DPP) -- Born in 1956, Guan has a
Ph.D. in Political Science from National Taiwan
University. Guan was an AIT International Visitor
program participant in 1996. Prior to her run for the
LY, she served as Director of the Kaohsiung City
Cultural Bureau for two years and before that, as
Spokesperson and Director of the Kaohsiung City
Information Bureau. Before moving to Kaohsiung in
2000 to work for Mayor Frank Hsieh, Guan served as an
Associate Professor of Public Administration at
National Taipei University. During Chen Shui-bien's
1998 run for Taipei mayor, Guan served as an aide to
his campaign. Guan's husband is Hsu Yang-ming, who is
the Vice Mayor of nearby Tainan City and previously
served as Deputy Secretary General of the DPP when
Frank Hsieh was Chairman. Guan is considered a
protg of Kaohsiung Mayor Hsieh and is affiliated
with the Welfare Nation faction of the DPP, which
Hsieh heads.

-- Tseng Tsan-teng (TSU) - Born in 1953, Tseng has a
Ph.D. in Education Administration from Northern
Colorado State University. Prior to running for the
LY, Tseng served as Director of the Graduate School of
Education Administration at National Tainan Teachers
College. In his first run for public office, Tseng
received strong support from former President Lee
e
Teng-hui, with whom Tseng has long been associated.
Tseng is even closer to Huang Kun-hui, who served as

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Secretary General of the Presidential Office under

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former President Lee Teng-hui. Tseng served in the
Taipei Education Bureau under Huang Kun-hui, who was
Director of the Education Bureau in the late
1970's/early 1980's when Lee Teng-hui was Taipei City
Mayor. During his LY campaign, Tseng led a small
protest in front of AIT Kaohsiung's offices,
protesting the failure of the U.S. to support changing
the official name of Taiwan.

4. (SBU) District Two (Southern Kaohsiung) -- Three
incumbents were reelected: Kuo Wen-cheng (DPP), Chiu-
yi (PFP) and Luo Chih-ming (TSU). In addition, two
newcomers were elected:

-- Huang Chao-hui (DPP) - Born in 1946, Huang has a
Master's degree from Tainan Theological College. He
has formerly served as the Chief Executive Officer of
the Executive Yuan's Southern Taiwan Service Center
(2002), Vice General Secretary of the DPP's Central
Office from 1995-1997 and is a former Legislator
(1992-1995). Huang was an early "tang-wai" and DPP
activist. He served in the late 1980's as a member of
Taiwan's National Assembly and during that period
spent two year's in prison for participating in anti-
KMT government political protests. Huang's wife, Chen
Ling-li, was just elected as a Kaohsiung City Council
member in the supplemental election on July 17, but
during Huang's LY campaign, he pledged that his wife
would not run again for City Council, in order to
respond to criticism that his family was trying to
dominate local politics.

-- Lee Fu-hsing (KMT) - Born in 1946, Lee has a
Master's Degree in Education from Tokyo's Gakugei
University. A long-time Kaohsiung City Council
member, first elected to the Council in 1990, Lee was
one of only two KMT City Council members not
implicated in the December 2002 vote buying scandal
that led to the removal of many city councilors. Lee
ran for LY in 2001, but lost when the KMT split its
vote in Kaohsiung's southern district among several
candidates. Lee was a participant in AIT's
International Visitor program in 1995. A devout
Catholic, Lee was made a "Knight of the Catholic
Church" by the Vatican in 1993.

Kaohsiung County
----------------

5. (SBU) Six incumbents were re-elected: Lin Yi-shih
(KMT), Lin Tai-hua (DPP), Chung Shao-ho (PFP), Hsu
Chi-ming (DPP), Yu Cheng-dao (DPP), Chao Lian-yen
(PFP). In addition, three newcomers were elected:

-- Chen Chi-yu (DPP) - Born in 1964, Chen has a
Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from National Taiwan
University. He is a former Kaohsiung County Councilor
(1994-2002). Chen ran against current Kaohsiung
County Magistrate Yang Chiu-hsing for the DPP's
nomination in 2001, with the backing of then-
Magistrate and former Interior Minister Yu Chen-hsien,
but failed. Chen maintains close ties to the "Black
faction" in Kaohsiung County, a DPP faction that is
dominated by the Yu family. Chen was among the first
student members of the DPP, joining in 1987 while
attending National Taiwan University in Taipei. Chen
has been an active DPP campaigner, starting with work
as an aide to current Tainan Magistrate Su in Su's
1992 run for the LY.

-- Yen Wen-chang (DPP) - Born in 1946, Yen is a high
school graduate. Yen is a long-time Kaohsiung County
Councilor and seasoned local DPP campaigner. He has
also been a long-time proponent of the "Taiwan
identity" movement, de-emphasizing Taiwan links to
China in favor of promoting a separate Taiwan culture
and language.

-- Wu Kuang-shun (DPP) - Born in 1949, Wu has an MBA
from private I-Shou University in Kaohsiung County.
Wu previously served as a legislator from 1998-2001,
but left the LY to run, unsuccessfully, as the KMT
candidate for Kaohsiung County Magistrate in 2002.
Wu's family has long been involved in local politics;
his father served as Kaohsiung County Council Speaker
for three consecutive terms, from 1982-1994. Wu's
family owns a securities firm in Kaohsiung County.

Pingtung County
---------------

6. (SBU) Three incumbents were re-elected: Liao Wan-
ju (KMT), Tsai Hao (IND), Cheng Chao-ming (DPP). In
addition, two newcomers were elected:

-- Pan Meng-an (DPP) - Born in 1963, Peng has an MBA
from Honolulu University (a long-distance degree
program). Prior to his run for LY, Pan served as
Chairman of the DPP's Pingtung Office (2001-4) and
concurrently as a member of Pingtung's County Council.

-- Wu Chin-lin (KMT) - Born in 1947, Wu has a Master's
Degree in Public Administration from National Chengchi
University. Wu currently serves as an Advisor to the
Examination Yuan and is a former Secretary General of
the Examination Yuan. Wu is the younger brother of Wu
Tze-yuan (KMT), a former Pingtung County Magistrate and
LY member who was convicted of corruption and sentenced
to a long prison term, but who fled and is currently
one of Taiwan's most-wanted fugitives. Wu's election
with the highest number of votes in the County suggests
his family retains significant political pull, despite
his brother's difficulties.

Tainan City
-----------

7. (SBU) Five incumbents were re-elected: Tang Pi-o
(DPP), Wang Yi-ting (KMT), Lai Ching-te (DPP), Lin
Nan-sheng (KMT), and Wang Hsing-nan (DPP). In
addition, one newcomer was elected:

-- Kao Szu-po (PFP) - Born in 1968, Wang has an LL.M.
from George Washington University Law School and is a
member of the Taiwan Bar. Prior to his run for office,
he served as an Assistant Professor at the private Shih
Hsin University in Tainan. Despite running as a PFP
candidate, Kao comes from a long-standing KMT family.
His father is Kao Yu-jen (incumbent KMT at-large
legislator and former Speaker of the Taiwan Provincial
Assembly). His wife, Jessica Chou, is a top aide to
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, and his brother-in-law is
Taoyuan County Magistrate Chu Li-lung (KMT).

Tainan County
-------------

8. (SBU) Eight incumbents were re-elected: Ho Shui-
sheng (DPP), Cheng Kuo-chung (DPP), Lee Chuan-chiao
(KMT), Li Chun-yi (DPP), Hung Yu-chin (KMT), Yeh I-chin
(DPP), and Lee Ho-shun (an incumbent at-large KMT
legislator who ran this time as an NPSU candidate). In
addition, one newcomer was elected:

-- Huang Wei-che (DPP) - Born in 1963, Huang has a
Master's Degree in Public Administration from Yale
University. Huang is a former National Assembly member
(1996-2000), who chose to go to the U.S. for study
after the NA was dissolved rather than run for an LY
seat. In 2002, Huang returned and ran successfully for
the Tainan County Council, serving from 2002-04.

Chiayi County
-------------

9. (SBU) Two incumbents were re-elected: Tsai Chi-fang
(DPP), Chang Hua-kuan (DPP). In addition, two
newcomers were elected:

-- Lin Kuo-chin (DPP) - Born in 1965, Lin is a high
school graduate who has served on the Chiayi County
Council since 1998. While originally affiliated with
Chiayi County's "Lin faction," led by Chaiyi County's
DPP Magistrate, Chen Ming-wen, Lin's affiliation with
the faction is apparently not strong. Lin was a one-
time aide to Kaohsiung City LY member Kuo Wen-cheng
when Kuo served as Kaohsiung City Councilman. Local
officials describe Lin, a former salesman, as an
eloquent speaker.

-- Weng Chung-chun (KMT) - Born in 1955, Weng has an
MBA from National Taiwan University. Until his run for
LY, Weng served as KMT Chairman in Chiayi County (2001-
2004). Weng previously served as a legislator from
1989-2001, but chose not to run for re-election and
instead ran unsuccessfully for County Magistrate. Weng
was one of a number of officials indicted in the
massive corruption scandal related to the Zanadau
Commercial Development project in Kaohsiung County. In
February 2003, Weng was charged with corruption and
faces a possible nine-year sentence for allegedly
receiving NT$25 million in bribes from Su Hui-chen, the
majority shareholder in the company, to help get the
project license approved after the company had already
been ruled ineligible. The case, however, continues to
wind its way very slowly through Taiwan's courts and
appellate process.

Chiayi City
-----------

10. (SBU) Two incumbents re-elected: Huang Min-huei
(KMT) and Tsai Tong-rong (DPP). No newcomers.

Taitung County
--------------

11. (SBU) One incumbent, Huang Chien-ting (KMT) was
re-elected.

Penghu County
-------------

12. (SBU) One incumbent, Lin Pin-kun (IND), was re-
elected.

FORDEN

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