Su Tseng-chang

Su Tseng-chang
蘇貞昌
11th and 14th Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party
In office
30 May 2012[1] – 28 May 2014
Preceded by Tsai Ing-wen
Succeeded by Tsai Ing-wen
In office
15 February 2005 – 3 December 2005
Preceded by Ker Chien-ming (acting)
Succeeded by Annette Lu (acting)
Premier of the Republic of China
In office
25 January 2006 – 21 May 2007
President Chen Shui-bian
Vice Premier Tsai Ing-wen
Preceded by Frank Hsieh
Succeeded by Chang Chun-hsiung
Magistrate of Taipei County
In office
20 December 1997 – 20 May 2004
Preceded by You Ching
Succeeded by Lin Hsi-yao (acting)
Chou Hsi-wei
Magistrate of Pingtung County
In office
20 December 1989 – 20 December 1993
Preceded by Shih Meng-hsiung
Succeeded by Wu Tse-yuan
Personal details
Born (1947-07-28) July 28, 1947
Pingtung, Taiwan,
Nationality Taiwan
Political party Democratic Progressive Party
Spouse(s) Chan Hsiu-ling
Children 3, including Su Chiao-hui
Alma mater National Taiwan University (LL.B.)
Profession Lawyer
Signature

Su Tseng-chang (Chinese: 蘇貞昌; pinyin: Sū Zhēnchāng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: So͘ Cheng-chhiong; born 28 July 1947) is a Taiwanese politician. He was the chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party from 2012 to 2014. Su served as Premier of the Republic of China from 2006 to 2007 and was Chief of Staff to President Chen Shui-bian in 2004.[2]

Su actively campaigned for the DPP presidential nomination In 2008, but finished second to Frank Hsieh. Su eventually teamed with Hsieh as the vice presidential nominee; the DPP lost to the Kuomintang ticket of Ma Ying-jeou and Vincent Siew. Su ran for Taipei City Mayor in November 2010, but lost to 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. Following the loss of Tsai to Ma Ying-jeou, Su was elected to succeed Tsai as DPP chairman in 2012.

Su, along with politicians Annette Lu, Frank Hsieh and Yu Shyi-kun are collectively known as the "Big Four of the Democratic Progressive Party". Su is nicknamed the "Lightbulb" (電火球) by the Taiwanese media and DPP voters, a nickname he earned in the 1980s for his charismatic approach to campaigning during election season, in addition to being an affectionate reference to the balding Su.

Personal background

Born in Pingtung, Su studied at the National Taiwan University. During his college years, he was vice captain of the rugby team.[3] He was a practicing lawyer from 1973 to 1983 and became a defense lawyer in the Kaohsiung Incident trials.[4][5]

He was previously the magistrate of Pingtung County (1989–1993) and magistrate of Taipei County (1997–2004).[6] 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, Wang Chien-shien.[7][8] 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.[6] 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.[9]

Su is married to Chan Hsiu-ling (詹秀齡) with whom he has three daughters, one of which is Su Chiao-hui.[10]

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 promised to step down if the people's welfare (referring to crime and other civil problems) did not improve within six months.[11] Su faced calls for his resignation after the Rebar Chinese Bank run, but refused to leave his post at the time.[12][13]

Su was a contender for the DPP nomination in the 2008 presidential election.[14][15] 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.[16]

On May 12, 2007, Su submitted his letter of resignation to President Chen Shui-bian, ending his tenure on May 21.[17] 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).[18] Su also stated that he previously submitted resignations numerous times over his sixteen-month tenure, but all were rejected by President Chen.[19]

2008 presidential campaign

Su ran for Vice President alongside Frank Hsieh, who was the DPP Nomination. Together, Su and Hsieh ran against Ma 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.

Party Candidate Votes Percentage
President Vice president
Kuomintang Ma Ying-Jeou Vincent Siew 7,659,014 58.45%
Democratic Progressive Party Frank Hsieh Su Tseng-Chang 5,444,949 41.55%
Total 13,103,963 100.00%

2010 Taipei mayoral race

Although Su had been considered a strong candidate to helm the newly created New Taipei City, because he had previously served the area as Taipei County Magistrate, he instead ran for the mayoralty of Taipei City.[20][21] 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.[22] Su eventually lost the race to the incumbent mayor Hau Lung-pin.

2010 Taipei City Mayoral Election Result
Party # Candidate Votes Percentage
Independent 1 Wu Yen-cheng (吳炎成) 1,832 0.13%
Kuomintang 2
Hau Lung-pin		 797,865 55.65%
Independent 3 Helen Hsiao (蕭淑華) 2,238 0.16%
Independent 4 Francis Wu (吳武明) 3,672 0.26%
Democratic Progressive Party 5 Su Tseng-chang 628,129 43.81%
Total 1,433,736 100.00%
Voter turnout 70.65%

2012 campaigns

Su declared his candidacy for the 2012 presidential candidacy, but lost a DPP party primary held in April 2011 to Tsai Ing-wen and Hsu Hsin-liang, by a margin of 1.35 percent.[23] He was subsequently elected DPP chairman in May 2012,[24] and was succeed by Tsai in 2014, after dropping out of the chairmanship election in the wake of the Sunflower Student Movement.[25][26]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Su Tseng-chang.
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Su Tseng-chang

References

  1. ↑ http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=191509&ctNode=445
  2. ↑ About Executive Yuan: Premier, Executive Yuan, Republic of China (Taiwan), Updated 2006-02-24
  3. ↑ "台大橄欖球隊友會蘇貞昌 聊趣事笑料橫生".
  4. ↑ Hwang, Jim (1 March 2008). "Finding Common Ground". Taiwan Today. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  5. ↑ Lin, Irene (9 December 1999). "Kaohsiung Eight trial pointed way to Taiwan's future". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Su Tseng-chang's political fortunes change rapidly". Taipei Times. Agence France Presse. 13 May 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  7. ↑ Copper, John Franklin (2005). Consolidating Taiwan's Democracy. University Press of America. p. 128. ISBN 9780761829775.
  8. ↑ Sheng, Virginia (2 February 2002). "The Voters Speak". Taiwan Today. Archived from the original on 2 February 2002. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  9. ↑ Grauwels, Stephan (3 December 2005). "Taiwan Opposition Wins Local Elections". Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  10. ↑ Huang, Jewel (1 January 2005). "Su Tseng-chang enters race for DPP chairman". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  11. ↑ Chang, S.C. / CNA, "PREMIER TO QUIT POLITICS IF SOCIAL ORDER NOT IMPROVED WITHIN 6 MONTHS", Government Information Office, 2006-03-15
  12. ↑ Hille, Kathrin (14 January 2007). "Taiwan PM under pressure to quit". Financial Times. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  13. ↑ "FSC chief steps down over recent bank runs". China Post. 13 January 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  14. ↑ CNA, WASHINGTON, "Adviser predicts a Su-Tsai DPP ticket for 2008", Taipei Times, 2006-02-06
  15. ↑ AFP, TAIPEI, "Su Tseng-chang excels at rebounding from defeat", Taipei Times, 2006-01-20
  16. ↑ "Frank Hsieh wins DPP presidential primary". China Post. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  17. ↑ "Taiwanese prime minister resigns". BBC News. 12 May 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  18. ↑
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ Chao, Vincent Y. (11 May 2010). "Su Tseng-chang rebuffs call to run in Sinbei City". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "Taiwan Ex-Premier Su Tseng-chang to run for Taipei City Mayor: Reports". Taiwan News. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  22. ↑ Chao, Vincent Y.; Mo, Yan-chih (26 November 2010). "Tsai downplays DPP official's comments". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  23. ↑ Chao, Vincent Y. (28 April 2011). "Su concedes defeat in DPP primaries". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  24. ↑ Hsu, Jenny W. (27 May 2012). "Taiwan Ex-Premier Su Tseng-Chang Elected Head of Opposition Party". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  25. ↑ Wang, Chris (26 May 2014). "Tsai Ing-wen elected as DPP chair". Taipei Times. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  26. ↑ Chang, Jung-hsiang; Hsu, Elizabeth (May 25, 2014). "Tsai Ing-wen wins DPP chair election (update)". Central News Agency. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
Government offices
Preceded by
Shih Meng-hsiung		 Magistrate of Pingtung County
1989–1993 		Succeeded by
Wu Tse-yuan
Preceded by
You Ching		 Magistrate of Taipei County
1997–2003 		Succeeded by
Lin Hsi-yao
Preceded by
Frank Hsieh		 Premier of the Republic of China
2006–2007 		Succeeded by
Chang Chun-hsiung
Party political offices
Preceded by
Ker Chien-ming
Acting		 Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party
Acting
2005 		Succeeded by
Annette Lu
Acting
Preceded by
Chen Chu
Acting		 Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party
2012–2014 		Succeeded by
Tsai Ing-wen
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