Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TAIPEI1287
2006-04-12 08:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
KMT Wins Taitung Supplemental Magisterial Election
how-toVZCZCXRO0383 PP RUEHCN RUEHGH DE RUEHIN #1287 1020816 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 120816Z APR 06 FM AIT TAIPEI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9661 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5048 RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0024 RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1183 RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 5136 RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 9215 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6239
UNCLAS TAIPEI 001287
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
DEPT FOR EAP/TC, INR/EAP
FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL TW
SUBJECT: KMT Wins Taitung Supplemental Magisterial Election
REF: A) 2005 TAIPEI 4986, B) 2006 TAIPEI 0656
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.
UNCLAS TAIPEI 001287
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
DEPT FOR EAP/TC, INR/EAP
FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL TW
SUBJECT: KMT Wins Taitung Supplemental Magisterial Election
REF: A) 2005 TAIPEI 4986, B) 2006 TAIPEI 0656
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.
1. (SBU) In Taitung County's April 1, 2006, supplemental
magisterial election, the KMT candidate Kuang Li-chen defeated Pan
Green independent candidates Liu Chao-hao and Lai Kun-cheng. Voter
turnout was only 38.17 percent.
2. (SBU) In her first-ever election, Kuang Li-chen won with 62.51
percent of total votes. Liu Chao-hao, a former vice-magistrate who
ran in the December magisterial election, gained only 28.23 percent
of votes. Lai Kun-cheng, the other Pan Green candidate, received
only 7 percent of the vote. The KMT win was expected and the
percentage of votes gained by both blue and green camps reflects the
traditional base support of the two camps.
3. (SBU) Kuang is the ex-wife of Wu Chun-li, Taitung's former
County Council Speaker and deposed Taitung Magistrate. When Wu
Chun-li was elected as Magistrate in the December 2005 3-in-1
election, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) announced that Wu would
be deposed because of his corruption conviction during his tenure as
a KMT County Council member (ref A). On the eve of Wu's swearing-in
ceremony on December 19, Kuang deliberately divorced Wu Chun-li to
bypass the law that forbids elected officials from appointing family
members to public office. Although Wu designated Kuang as Vice
Magistrate at the swearing-in ceremony, MOI refuted the
appointment's legitimacy, saying Wu had no authority to do so after
being deposed from the magisterial position. Kuang then registered
with and was nominated by the KMT as its candidate for the
supplemental magisterial election (ref B).
4. (SBU) KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou campaigned in Taitung three
times for Kuang, despite her ex-husband's questionable past and
corruption conviction (ref A). Although Liu and Lai are both DPP
members, both ran as independents, making it awkward for
high-ranking DPP members to campaign for them. An AIT/K contact in
Taitung told AIT/K that the campaigning was calm. The contact
indicated that locals saw Kuang's victory as proof that people were
dissatisfied with the way that DPP administration deposed Wu
Chun-li, even after Wu was elected legitimately to the magisterial
seat in the December 3-in-1 election (ref B).
5. (SBU) Bio of Kuang Li-chen:
Age: 43 years old
Education: Graduate of Chung Kuo Institute of Technology College,
EMBA, National Chung Hsing University
Previous Position: Director of Wu Chun-li Office; Sales Manager, Yu
Li Construction Company; Flight Attendant, China Airlines (Taiwan)
6. (SBU) AIT/K has met with the friendly and eloquent Ms. Kuang
several times during visits to Taitung County. Local speculation
has it that Kuang Li-chen, who divorced for reasons of political
succession, will re-marry her ex-husband Wu Chun-li very soon.
THIELE
YOUNG
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
DEPT FOR EAP/TC, INR/EAP
FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL TW
SUBJECT: KMT Wins Taitung Supplemental Magisterial Election
REF: A) 2005 TAIPEI 4986, B) 2006 TAIPEI 0656
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.
1. (SBU) In Taitung County's April 1, 2006, supplemental
magisterial election, the KMT candidate Kuang Li-chen defeated Pan
Green independent candidates Liu Chao-hao and Lai Kun-cheng. Voter
turnout was only 38.17 percent.
2. (SBU) In her first-ever election, Kuang Li-chen won with 62.51
percent of total votes. Liu Chao-hao, a former vice-magistrate who
ran in the December magisterial election, gained only 28.23 percent
of votes. Lai Kun-cheng, the other Pan Green candidate, received
only 7 percent of the vote. The KMT win was expected and the
percentage of votes gained by both blue and green camps reflects the
traditional base support of the two camps.
3. (SBU) Kuang is the ex-wife of Wu Chun-li, Taitung's former
County Council Speaker and deposed Taitung Magistrate. When Wu
Chun-li was elected as Magistrate in the December 2005 3-in-1
election, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) announced that Wu would
be deposed because of his corruption conviction during his tenure as
a KMT County Council member (ref A). On the eve of Wu's swearing-in
ceremony on December 19, Kuang deliberately divorced Wu Chun-li to
bypass the law that forbids elected officials from appointing family
members to public office. Although Wu designated Kuang as Vice
Magistrate at the swearing-in ceremony, MOI refuted the
appointment's legitimacy, saying Wu had no authority to do so after
being deposed from the magisterial position. Kuang then registered
with and was nominated by the KMT as its candidate for the
supplemental magisterial election (ref B).
4. (SBU) KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou campaigned in Taitung three
times for Kuang, despite her ex-husband's questionable past and
corruption conviction (ref A). Although Liu and Lai are both DPP
members, both ran as independents, making it awkward for
high-ranking DPP members to campaign for them. An AIT/K contact in
Taitung told AIT/K that the campaigning was calm. The contact
indicated that locals saw Kuang's victory as proof that people were
dissatisfied with the way that DPP administration deposed Wu
Chun-li, even after Wu was elected legitimately to the magisterial
seat in the December 3-in-1 election (ref B).
5. (SBU) Bio of Kuang Li-chen:
Age: 43 years old
Education: Graduate of Chung Kuo Institute of Technology College,
EMBA, National Chung Hsing University
Previous Position: Director of Wu Chun-li Office; Sales Manager, Yu
Li Construction Company; Flight Attendant, China Airlines (Taiwan)
6. (SBU) AIT/K has met with the friendly and eloquent Ms. Kuang
several times during visits to Taitung County. Local speculation
has it that Kuang Li-chen, who divorced for reasons of political
succession, will re-marry her ex-husband Wu Chun-li very soon.
THIELE
YOUNG