Kaohsiung City Council Election - Result and bios

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 TAIPEI 000069 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AIT/W, EAP/TC, INR/EAP FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL TW SUBJECT: Kaohsiung City Council Election - Result and bios ¶1. Kaohsiung City elected 44 City Councilors in its recent December 9, 2006, election, with a 68 percent voter turnout rate. The Kuomintang (KMT) won 17 seats, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 15 seats, People First Party (PFP) 4 seats, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) 1 seat, and independents 7 seats. Compared with the last election, the KMT gained 5 seats, the DPP gained 1 seat, the PFP lost 3 seats, the TSU lost 1 seat, and independents lost 2 seats. Sixteen (16) incumbent councilors failed in re-election bids, including the former City Council Speaker and Vice Speaker. The pan-blue camp is likely to dominate the city council for the next 4 years since it holds almost 50 percent of the seats (21). On its inauguration on December 25, city council members elected KMT City Councilor Chuan Chi-wang as Speaker and a pro-KMT independent Huang Shih-lung as Vice Speaker. Bios of the newly elected City Councilors follow: Speaker: Chuang Chi-wang (KMT) -------------- 52 years old, B.A. Chengshiu College, incumbent City Councilor elected first in 2002. Before serving as a City Councilor, he had served as a Ward Chief (Li-chang) for 21 years. Vice Speaker: Huang Shih-lung (Independent) -------------- 52 years old, a graduate of a junior college, incumbent City Councilor, serving his third term in the City Council. Before he was elected to the City Council, he worked as a technician at China Steel Corp. KMT members: (16) -------------- ¶1. Chen Han-shen - 53 years old, incumbent City Councilor, high school graduate. He will be serving his fourth term (1991 - present). ¶2. Chen Mei-ya - 36 years old, newly elected; Master's Degree in Law from Waseda University, Japan. She was an assistant to the Chief Judge, Kaohsiung High Court. Her father was a former City Councilor in the 1990's. ¶3. Dai Te-ming - 52 years old, incumbent City Councilor, B.A. Tamkang University. He has served as a City Councilor since 1998. He is a businessman, with investments in the entertainment industry. ¶4. Lan Hsing-mu - 54 years old, incumbent City Councilor, junior high school graduate. He will be serving his fourth term in the City Council. He was a Ward Chief before being elected to the City Council. ¶5. Chen Mei-chuan - 43 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 2003 by-election, B.A. Toyo University, Japan. She served as a Special Assistant to Legislator Huang Chao-shun (KMT) before her own election to the City Council. ¶6. Chen Li-chen - 40 years old, newly elected, Executive MBA National Sun-Yat-Sen University. She previously served as a Ward Chief and an assistant to a former City Councilor. ¶7. Chou Chung-chan - 52 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 1998, Master's Degree in Education National Cheng Chi University. He used to work as a public servant at Kaohsiung City Government's Education Bureau. ¶8. Huang Po-lin - 39 years old, incumbent City Councilor elected since 2003 by-election. He graduated from Chengshiu Junior College and is studying for his Master's degree at National Sun-Yat-Sen University. He gained the highest number of votes (31,288 votes) from among all the city councilor candidates in this election. His uncle, Huang Chi-chuan was the former City Council Speaker (1990-1998). ¶9. Huang Tien-tsai - 58 years old, incumbent City councilor since 1994, high school graduate. He owns a construction company. ¶10. Tseng Chun-chieh - 30 years old, newly elected; B. A. Central University, Queensland, Australia. His father served as a City Councilor for 24 years, but was removed from the post because of a corruption conviction from the 2002 Speaker election scandal. ¶11. Mei Tsai-hsing - 49 years old, former City Councilor from 1994 to 1998, Ph.D in Political Science University of Hawaii. He is an TAIPEI 00000069 002 OF 004 Associate Professor at Yi Shou University in Kaohsiung. ¶12. Huang Shao-ting - 36 years old, newly elected; Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California. He had worked for a subsidiary company of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., in California as Technician Section Manager. His father was a former City Councilor who was removed from the post because of a corruption conviction from the 2002 Speaker election scandal. ¶13. Chen Li-na - 36 years old, incumbent City Councilor elected since 2003 by-election, B.A. Chinese Culture University. Her husband Yang Min-lang was a former City Councilor who was removed from the post because of a corruption conviction from the 2002 Speaker election scandal. Her father-in-law was also a former City Councilor from 1991-1998. ¶14. Lin Kuo-cheng - 40 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 2003 supplementary election, Master's degree in Financial Management National Central University. Before being elected to the City Council, he was Secretary General of Kaohsiung Fishermen's Association. He currently serves as Chief of the KMT Youth League in Kaohsiung City. ¶15. Tsai Ma-fu - 57 years old, a former City Councilor from 1990 to 2002, high school graduate. He has investments in the entertainment industry. ¶16. Lin Kuo-chuan - 54 years old, holds a reserved seat to represent aborigines residing in Kaohsung City. He is a graduate of junior college and a Chairman of Tai-ya Tribe Association. DPP members: (15) -------------- ¶1. Lee Chiao-ju - 47 years old, incumbent City councilor since 1994, B.A. Kaohsiung City Open University and holds an Executive MBA from National Sun-Yat-Sen University. She was an assistant to former legislator Chu Hsing-yu (DPP) before she was elected to City Councilor. ¶2. Lien Li-chien - 42 years old, newly elected, Law degree National Chung Hsing University. He is an attorney working for Kaohsiung Consumers' Association. ¶3. Huang Chao-hsing - 56 years old, a former City Councilor from 1990 to 1998, B.S. in Physical Education from National Normal University. He is the younger brother of Legislator Huang Chao-hui (DPP). ¶4. Lin Ying-jung - 41 years old, newly elected; Law degree National Taiwan University. She is an attorney and Chairperson of Kaohsiung Judicial Reform Committee. ¶5. Huang Shu-mei - 47 years old, an incumbent City Councilor since ¶2003. She is a graduate of junior college and is studying Public Policy at National Sun-Yat-Sen University. ¶6. Kang Yu-cheng - 50 years old, an incumbent City Councilor since 2002, Law degree National Taiwan University. She is an attorney and was a former Kaohsiung County Councilor from 1998 to 2002. ¶7. Lin Wu-chung - 51 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 2003 by-election, junior college graduate. He served as a Ward Chief (Li-chang) for years and once worked at the DPP Kaohsiung City office as an Executive Secretary. ¶8. Hung Ping-land - 51 years old, a former National Assembly Member (1996-1999),high school graduate. Before joining politics he was a laborer. ¶9. Chou Ling-wen - 38 years old, an incumbent City Councilor since 2002, B.A. Tamkang University. Before being elected to the City Council, she worked as a congressional aide for the late Legislator Lu Shiu-I and Vice President Annette Lu when Lu was a Legislator. She was AIT/Kaohsiung's International Visitor in 2005. ¶10. Lee Wen-liang - 47 years old, newly elected, MBA Chang Jung Christian University and is studying for the doctor degree at National Sun-Yat-Sen University. He was a former Director of Reconstruction Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government (2002-2003) when Frank Hsieh served as Kaohsiung Mayor and later became Chairman of Kaohsiung Water Corporation (2005). TAIPEI 00000069 003 OF 004 ¶11. Hsiao Yung-da - 41 years old, newly elected, Master's degree in Electronics National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. He is a lecturer at National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences. He worked for Vice Mayor Tang Chin-chuan when Tang was a Legislator. ¶12. Lin Wan-jung - 46 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 1998, junior college graduate. Her husband is Legislator Kuo Wen-cheng (DPP). ¶13. Cheng Kuang-feng - 40 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 2003 by-election, Master's degree in Medicine Kaohsiung Medical College. He served as Kaohsiung City DPP Chairman from 2000 to ¶2002. He is a medical doctor working at the clinic owned by Legislator Lin Chin-hsing (DPP),who was expelled from the DPP after being convicted of forging medical documents. ¶14. Chen Hsing-yu - 38 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 2003 by-election, Executive MBA National Sun-Yat-Sen University. Before being elected to the City Council, she worked for different Bureau directors of Kaohsiung City Government, including Mayor Chen Chu when she was Director of the Social Affairs Bureau. ¶15. Wu Ming-si - 41 years old, newly elected, high school graduate. He is a Ward Chief (Li-chang) and runs a mortuary business. PFP members: (4) -------------- ¶1. Yang Ser-yu - 47 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 1994, B.A. in Chinese National Normal University and a Master's degree in Public Policy National Sun-Yat-Sen University. ¶2. Tung Yen-chen - 53 years old, incumbent City councilor since 2002, graduated from Chiayi Normal College. She owns a kindergarten and was a former Chairperson of Kaohsiung City's Pre-education Association. ¶3. Wang Ling-chiao - 40 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 2002, MBA Honolulu University. She owns English language cram schools and she was the 2001 National President of Taiwan's Jaycees Club. ¶4. Wu Yi-cheng - 43 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 2002, Master's degree in International Relations and Public Affairs Columbia University. Before he became an elected official, he served as an assistant to former KMT Legislator Lin Hung-chung and PFP Legislator Chiu Yi. TSU members: (1) SIPDIS -------------- ¶1. Lan Chien-chang - 36 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 1998, MBA in Information Management University of Southern California. He was a KMT member until 2002. He is the only TSU member who successfully won re-election this year. His father was a former KMT City Councilor (1990-1998). Independents: (6) -------------- ¶1. Chang Sheng-wu - 63 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 1994, high school graduate. He was a former Chairman of Kaohsiung City Fishermen's Association and owns a fishing company. ¶2. Cheng Hsing-chu - 65 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 2002, elementary school graduate. He was a National Assembly Member from 1996 to 1999. He is a host on a local radio program that focuses on worker rights issues. ¶3. Hsu Kun-yuan - 49 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 1994, high school graduate. He is reputed to have underworld ties, having connections to gambling. It is said that he was planning to run for the Speaker's slot and that the KMT offered him te Vice Speaker's position to gain his support for the KMT candidate in the Speaker election. Since Hsu insisted in running for the Speaker's slot, the deal was broken. ¶4. Tseng Li-yen - 53 years old, newly elected, a graduate of junior college. She is the wife of former Legislator Lin Hung-chung (Independent) who owns a construction company and has investments in restaurants. She served as his executive assistant. ¶5. Chu Ting-yu - 26 years old, newly elected, she graduated from Northeastern University (U.S.) in Business Administration and TAIPEI 00000069 004 OF 004 Finance. Her father was a former City Council Speaker Chu An-hsiung who was convicted for vote-buying in the 2002 Speaker election and fled to China. Her mother Wu De-mei was a KMT Legislator. Her elder sister Chu Ting-san was elected as City Councilor in 2002, but did not seek re-election. ¶6. Lee Shun-chin - 48 years old, incumbent City Councilor since 2003 by-election. He is a graduate of junior college and served as a Ward Chief (Li-chang) for years before being elected as a City Councilor. THIELE YOUNG