Profile of New Kaohsiung Mayor - Chen Chu

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000076

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: Profile of New Kaohsiung Mayor - Chen Chu

Ref: A) 2005 Taipei 3525 B) 2006 Taipei 4152

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.


1. (U) Summary: Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chu was sworn in
December 25, 2006. During her inaugural address, she pledged that
she and her administration would focus on boosting Kaohsiung City's
economic development to create job opportunities for young people,
emphasizing that she would keep her administration clean and her
policy-making transparent. End Summary.

Chen Chu Biography
--------------

2. (U) A native of I-Lan County, Chen Chu was one of the ten
founders of the Democratic Progress Party (DPP) when it was
established in 1986.

DOB: June 1, 1950
Education: B.A. in Library and Information Studies from
Shih Hsin University and Master in Public Affairs
Administration from National Sun-Yat-Sen University

Previous Positions:
a. Chairperson of Council of Labor Affairs, Executive
Yuan (2000-2005)
b. Director of Social Affairs Bureau, Kaohsiung Municipal Government
(1998-2000)
c. Director of Social Affairs Bureau, Taipei Municipal Government
(1994-1998)
d. National Assembly Member (1991-1993)
e. Director and Secretary General of Taiwan Human Right Promotion
Association (1986-1990)


3. (U) Chen has been a promoter of social rights since she was 19
years old. She started her social activist career as an assistant
to Kuo Yu-hsing, a well-known 1970's political activist, who was a
friend of her father. She was serving as the Deputy Director of the
Formosa Magazine's Kaohsiung Branch Office when the Formosa Incident
happened in December 1979. After the incident, she was sentenced to
six years and two months in jail, at which time she became friends
with now Vice President Annette Lu. After being released in 1986,
she continued to promote human rights, placing particular emphasis
on women's rights.


4. (U) Chen Chu is a member of the DPP's New Tide faction. She
became an elected official when she won a seat in Kaohsiung City as
a National Assembly member in 1991. She then served as the Director
of the Taipei Social Affairs Bureau when Chen Shui-bian was a Mayor
of Taipei in 1994. When Frank Hsieh served as the Mayor of
Kaohsiung City, she was appointed to the Director of Kaohsiung City
Social Affairs Bureau in 1998. In 2000, when the DPP won the
presidency and became the ruling party, she was appointed as the
Chairperson of the Council of Labor Affairs. After the Thai
laborers' riot (ref A) occurred in August 2005 at the Kaohsiung
Rapid Transit Corporation (KRTC) project, she resigned from her
position to take responsibility for the incident and subsequently
returned to Kaohsiung to start preparing the ground to run for
Kaohsiung Mayor, a job to which she had been aspiring for some time.
Because of her eloquence and heartfelt speeches, she has been a
master of ceremonies at many DPP election campaign rallies,
including the presidential elections rallies. These experiences
have made her an excellent campaigner and contributed to her win in
the Kaohsiung mayoral election. She has a nephew, Lee Kun-tze, who
was elected as a Legislator in 2004 in Kaohsiung City.

Chen's Associates
--------------

5. (SBU) The unsuccessful KMT mayoral candidate Huang Chun-ying was
Chen's professor when she studied for her master's degree at
National Sun-Yat-Sen University. Because of this teacher-student
relationship, the campaigning of the DPP in the mayoral election was
not as negative and harsh as usual, even though it was still a tense
mayoral election. Chen Chu told AIT/Kaohsiung several times that
KMT mayoral candidate Huang Chung-ying was a mild and nice person
and they would not attack each other personally.


6. (SBU) Chen has previously been associated with former DPP
Chairman Shih Ming-te, the recent leader of the anti-President Chen
movement. Their relationship traces back to the 1970's and the
founding of Formosa Magazine. She said that she and Shih were just
like "brother and sister" and Shih had taken care of her since the
Formosa incident. Therefore, when Shih started the anti-Chen
movement, she did not criticize Shih but called on DPP supporters to

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understand and tolerate Shih's ideas although she did not approve
his actions.

New Administration
--------------

6. (U) After Mayor Chen's inauguration, she changed only one third
of her staff - i.e., one Vice Mayor, and the Directors of the
Information Bureau, Social Affairs Bureau, Mayor's Office, Civil
Affairs Bureau and Military Conscription Department. The new
Director of the Mayor's Office stated that Chen will review her
decisions on key slots after three months and then make adjustments
if necessary.


7. (U) Based on her previous labor-related work experience, Chen
launched her mayoral tenure by checking on laborer safety in
Kaohsiung. On January 8, Chen made an unannounced safety check on
the construction of the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT) system.
During her visit to the KMRT site at the Kaohsiung Rail Station,
Chen instructed the Labor Safety Investigation Office to intensify
its investigations to ensure the safety of laborers at all major
KMRT construction sites.

COMMENT
--------------

8. (SBU) Mayor Chen won the election by only 1114 votes and is now
facing a lawsuit (ref B) by KMT mayoral candidate Huang Chun-ying
aimed at nullifying the election. Her strategy at the moment is to
keep a low profile and allow the legal process to take its course.
Figuring out ways to boost the economy of Kaohsiung City will be her
main task because it was her major election pledge, and both the
people and business circles in Kaohsiung have high expectations in
this area.

THIELE

YOUNG