US embassy cable - 04TAIPEI4037

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