Yao Chia-wen

Yao Chia-wen
姚嘉文

Yao Chia-wen in 2007
14th President of the Examination Yuan
In office
21 June 2002  September 2008[1]
Preceded by Hsu Shui-teh
Succeeded by Wu Jin-lin (acting)
John Kuan
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office
February 1, 1993  January 31, 1996
2nd Chairperson of the DPP
In office
December 20, 1987  October 30, 1988
Preceded by Chiang Peng-chien
Succeeded by Huang Shin-chieh
Personal details
Born (1938-06-15) June 15, 1938
Wabi Town, Shōka District, Taichū Prefecture, Japanese Taiwan (modern-day Hemei, Changhua, Taiwan)
Nationality  Republic of China
Political party Democratic Progressive Party
Spouse(s) Chou Ching-yu
Alma mater National Taiwan University
Occupation Politician
Profession Lawyer

Yao Chia-wen (Chinese: 姚嘉文; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Iâu Ka-bûn) is a Taiwanese politician and former president of the country's Examination Yuan. He was the second chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Early life

Born in Wabi Town, Shōka District, Taichū Prefecture, Japanese Taiwan (modern-day Hemei, Changhua, Taiwan), Yao has eleven younger siblings. In 1957, He started working as a clerk in the Bureau of Telecommunications, which is now the Chunghwa Telecom. Yao studied law at the National Taiwan University in Taipei. He passed the bar exam in 1966 and got his master's degree in law two years later.

Yao co-founded the "Legal Advice Center for Citizens" (平民法律服務中心) in 1972 after attending the University of California at Berkeley as a visiting scholar. In 1975, he served as a defense lawyer of Kuo Yu-hsin, an important figure in the Tangwai movement, along with Lin Yi-hsiung.

Yao is married to Chou Ching-yu, who is a former magistrate of Changhua County.

Political career

Yao called for the abolition of the National Assembly in his book Maintaining and Amending the Law (護法與變法) published in 1978. In 1979, Yao was arrested and sentenced to a 12-year prison for his involvement in the Kaohsiung Incident. He served in prison for seven years and became the chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party after he was released. Under his chairmanship, the party adopted the "Program for the Sovereign Independence of Taiwan" (臺灣主權獨立案). In 1992, Yao joined the "Welfare State Alliance" (福利國連線) faction of the DPP founded by Frank Hsieh. He was elected a member of the Legislative Yuan the same year, but was not re-elected in 1995.

In 1997, Yao started teaching at National Tsing Hua University as an associate professor. He worked as a lawyer again in 1999, as he ran unsuccessfully for legislator again in 1998. President Chen Shui-bian appointed Yao as one of his Senior Advisors in 2000. Five years later, he was appointed as the President of the Examination Yuan.

Yao was replaced by the Ma Ying-jeou government in 2008 after Chen Shui-bian's administration left office. Yao was named a senior adviser to Tsai Ing-wen in October 2016.[2]

Political ideology

Yao supports the Taiwan independence movement. He was an editor of the Formosa Magazine, which is associated with the Tangwai movement. In 2006, he wrote a book that examines treaties that have strongly influenced the Taiwanese history with a goal to "set the facts straight" as the history of Taiwan is controversial.[3]

References

  1. http://www.exam.gov.tw/cp.asp?xItem=6478&ctNode=753&mp=5
  2. Lee, Hsin-fang; Chin, Jonathan (11 October 2016). "Tsai snubbed by Yu Shyi-kun and Su Tseng-chang". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  3. Chuang, Jimmy (18 Apr 2006). "New book aims to set facts straight on nation's history". Taipei Times. p. 3.
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