Su Tseng-chang
Encyclopedia
Su Tseng-chang is a Taiwan
ese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party
. He is the former Premier of the Republic of China
. Su actively campaigned for the Presidential nomination of the DPP, but finished second to Frank Hsieh in the nomination process. Su eventually teamed with Hsieh as the VP nominee in the 2008 election for President of the Republic of China
; the ticket lost to KMT ticket Ma Ying-jeou
and Vincent Siew
. He ran for Taipei City Mayor in November of 2010, but was defeated by the incumbent Hau Lung-pin by a 12-point margin. Su campaigned for the 2012 presidential candidacy of the DPP in 2011, but lost to Tsai Ing-wen
by a very narrow margin.
, Su studied at the National Taiwan University
. During his college years, he was vice captain of the rugby
team. He was a practicing lawyer
from 1973 to 1983 and became a defense lawyer in the Kaohsiung Incident
trials
.
He was previously the magistrate of Pingtung County
(1989-1993) and magistrate of Taipei County
(1997-2004). His first election as the Taipei magistrate was aided by a split between the New Party
and the Kuomintang
. His subsequent reelection occurred by a wide margin despite the ability of the Pan-Blue Coalition
to present a united candidate. He was Secretary-General (Chief of Staff) to the Office of the President of the Republic of China
under President Chen Shui-bian
(2004-2005). After President Chen resigned as DPP Chairman following the 2004 legislative elections
, he was elected the 10th-term DPP Chairman. Following DPP losses in the 2005 municipal elections on December 3, Su announced that he would, pursuant to a pre-election promise, resign from the chairmanship.
Su is married to Chan Hsiu-ling (詹秀齡) with three daughters.
Su was a contender for the DPP nomination in the 2008 presidential election
. He formally announced his candidacy on Feb. 25. In the DPP primary vote on May 6, 2007, Su received 46,994 votes, coming in second to former Premier Frank Hsieh
. Conceding defeat in the primary, Su announced that he had withdrawn from the race.
On May 12, 2007, Su submitted his letter of resignation to President Chen Shui-bian, ending his tenure on May 21. http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NAT1/3842279.shtml With the resignation of Su and with ten months left in Chen's presidency, that would mean Chen's eight years as President will have seen at least six Premiers (with Chang Chun-Hsiung serving two separate tenures) http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/eastasia/view/276152/1/.html. Su also stated that he previously submitted resignations numerous times over his sixteen-month tenure, but all were rejected by President Chen. http://ettoday.com/2007/05/12/91-2095535.htm
and Siew
. On March 22, they lost in a landslide to Ma and Siew's 7,659,014 (58.45%) votes with their 5,444,949 (41.55 %) votes.
Su announced on March 3, 2010, of his intention to run for the Taipei City Mayor. Su vowed that should he win, he would serve out the entire term (through 2014) effectively ending any talks of a presidential run in 2012. Su eventually lost the race to the incumbent mayor Hau Lung-pin.
and Hsu Hsin-liang
, but lost to Tsai Ing-wen by a margin of 1.35 percent.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
. He is the former Premier of the Republic of China
Premier of the Republic of China
The President of the Executive Yuan , commonly known as the Premier of the Republic of China , is the head of the Executive Yuan, the executive branch of the Republic of China , which currently administers Taiwan, Matsu, and Kinmen. The premier is appointed by the President of the Republic of China...
. Su actively campaigned for the Presidential nomination of the DPP, but finished second to Frank Hsieh in the nomination process. Su eventually teamed with Hsieh as the VP nominee in the 2008 election for President of the Republic of China
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
; the ticket lost to KMT ticket Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
and Vincent Siew
Vincent Siew
Vincent C. Siew Wan-chang is the incumbent Vice President of the Republic of China. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former vice-chairman of the Kuomintang .-Biography:...
. He ran for Taipei City Mayor in November of 2010, but was defeated by the incumbent Hau Lung-pin by a 12-point margin. Su campaigned for the 2012 presidential candidacy of the DPP in 2011, but lost to Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen is the current chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. Studying in Taiwan, the U.S and the U.K. Tsai earned an LL.B. from National Taiwan University, an LL.M. from Cornell University Law School and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics....
by a very narrow margin.
Personal background
Born in PingtungPingtung County
Pingtung County is a county in Southern Taiwan. Pingtung County is officially administered as a county of the Republic of China . The oldest national park in Taiwan, Kenting National Park, was established in Pingtung County in 1984...
, Su studied at the National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
. During his college years, he was vice captain of the rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team. He was a practicing lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
from 1973 to 1983 and became a defense lawyer in the Kaohsiung Incident
Kaohsiung Incident
The Kaohsiung Incident also known as the Formosa Incident, the Meilidao Incident or the Formosa Magazine incident was the result of pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on December 10, 1979....
trials
Trial (law)
In law, a trial is when parties to a dispute come together to present information in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court...
.
He was previously the magistrate of Pingtung County
Pingtung County
Pingtung County is a county in Southern Taiwan. Pingtung County is officially administered as a county of the Republic of China . The oldest national park in Taiwan, Kenting National Park, was established in Pingtung County in 1984...
(1989-1993) and magistrate of Taipei County
Taipei County
New Taipei City is the most populous city of Taiwan. The area includes a substantial stretch of Taiwan's northern coastline and surrounds the Taipei Basin...
(1997-2004). His first election as the Taipei magistrate was aided by a split between the New Party
New Party (Republic of China)
The New Party, formerly the Chinese New Party , is a centre-right conservative political party in the Republic of China , and part of the pan-blue coalition....
and the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
. His subsequent reelection occurred by a wide margin despite the ability of the Pan-Blue Coalition
Pan-Blue Coalition
The Pan-Blue Coalition 泛藍聯盟 or Pan-Blue Force is a political alliance in the Republic of China , consisting of the Kuomintang , the People First Party , and the New Party . The name comes from the party colours of the Kuomintang...
to present a united candidate. He was Secretary-General (Chief of Staff) to the Office of the President of the Republic of China
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
under President Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
(2004-2005). After President Chen resigned as DPP Chairman following the 2004 legislative elections
ROC legislative election, 2004
The Election for the 6th Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China on Taiwan was held on December 11, 2004. All 225 seats of the Legislative Yuan were up for election: 168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political...
, he was elected the 10th-term DPP Chairman. Following DPP losses in the 2005 municipal elections on December 3, Su announced that he would, pursuant to a pre-election promise, resign from the chairmanship.
Su is married to Chan Hsiu-ling (詹秀齡) with three daughters.
Premiership
Su was announced as the new Premier on January 19, 2006 and took his oath of office, along with his cabinet, on January 25, 2006. Soon after, Su announced that if the people's welfare (referring to crime and other civil problems) doesn't improve within 6 months, Su himself will step down. The premier's approval ratings, although higher than Chen Shui-bian, have definitely slipped substantially.Su was a contender for the DPP nomination in the 2008 presidential election
ROC presidential election, 2008
The election for the 12th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China was held in the Republic of China on Saturday, March 22, 2008. Kuomintang nominee Ma Ying-jeou won with 58% of the vote, ending eight years of Democratic Progressive Party rule...
. He formally announced his candidacy on Feb. 25. In the DPP primary vote on May 6, 2007, Su received 46,994 votes, coming in second to former Premier Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of...
. Conceding defeat in the primary, Su announced that he had withdrawn from the race.
On May 12, 2007, Su submitted his letter of resignation to President Chen Shui-bian, ending his tenure on May 21. http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NAT1/3842279.shtml With the resignation of Su and with ten months left in Chen's presidency, that would mean Chen's eight years as President will have seen at least six Premiers (with Chang Chun-Hsiung serving two separate tenures) http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/eastasia/view/276152/1/.html. Su also stated that he previously submitted resignations numerous times over his sixteen-month tenure, but all were rejected by President Chen. http://ettoday.com/2007/05/12/91-2095535.htm
2008 presidential campaign
Su ran for Vice President alongside with Frank Hsieh, who was the DPP Nomination. Together, Su and Hsieh ran against MaMa Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
and Siew
Vincent Siew
Vincent C. Siew Wan-chang is the incumbent Vice President of the Republic of China. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former vice-chairman of the Kuomintang .-Biography:...
. On March 22, they lost in a landslide to Ma and Siew's 7,659,014 (58.45%) votes with their 5,444,949 (41.55 %) votes.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President | Vice president | ||||
 KuomintangKuomintang The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused... |
Ma Ying-Jeou Ma Ying-jeou Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman... |
Vincent Siew Vincent Siew Vincent C. Siew Wan-chang is the incumbent Vice President of the Republic of China. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former vice-chairman of the Kuomintang .-Biography:... |
7,659,014 | 58.45% | |
| Democratic Progressive Party Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,... |
Frank Hsieh Frank Hsieh Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of... |
Su Tseng-Chang Su Tseng-chang Su Tseng-chang is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party. He is the former Premier of the Republic of China. Su actively campaigned for the Presidential nomination of the DPP, but finished second to Frank Hsieh in the nomination process... |
5,444,949 | 41.55% | |
| Total | 13,103,963 | 100.00% | |||
2010 Taipei mayoral race
Although he had been considered a strong candidate to helm the newly created New Taipei City.Su announced on March 3, 2010, of his intention to run for the Taipei City Mayor. Su vowed that should he win, he would serve out the entire term (through 2014) effectively ending any talks of a presidential run in 2012. Su eventually lost the race to the incumbent mayor Hau Lung-pin.
2010 presidential bid
Su ran for the 2012 presidential candidacy of the DPP against Tsai Ing-wenTsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen is the current chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. Studying in Taiwan, the U.S and the U.K. Tsai earned an LL.B. from National Taiwan University, an LL.M. from Cornell University Law School and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics....
and Hsu Hsin-liang
Hsu Hsin-liang
Hsu Hsin-liang is a Taiwanese politician, formerly Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party . He was a supporter of the Pan-Blue Coalition from 2000 to 2008 but then supported the DPP in the 2008 presidential election.-Biography:...
, but lost to Tsai Ing-wen by a margin of 1.35 percent.
External links
- Premier biography at the Executive Yuan, Republic of China (Taiwan)
- Premier biography timeline at the Government Information Office, Republic of China (Taiwan)