2013 Taichung by-election

The 2013 Taichung legislative by-election was held in Taiwan on 23 January 2013 for the Taichung City Constituency II after the former legislator Yen Ching-piao was disqualified for corruption.[1]

2013 Taichung legislative by-election

← 2012 26 January 2013 (2013-01-26) 2016 →
Turnout48.89%
 
Candidate Yen Kuan-heng Chen Shih-kai
Party Kuomintang DPP
Popular vote 66,457 65,319
Percentage 49.95% 49.09%

Legislator before election

Yen Ching-piao
NPSU

Elected Legislator

Yen Kuan-heng
Kuomintang

Background

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The Yen family was powerful in Taichung's local politics.[2] Yen Ching-piao was the speaker of Taichung County Council in 1990s,[3] and was first elected to the Legislative Yuan, the parliament of Taiwan, in 2001. Yen, who joined the pan-blue Non-Partisan Solidarity Union in 2004, was re-elected three times in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

Yen has been hit by scandal since he entered politics, and was once jailed in 2001.[3] On 28 November 2012, followed by rulings from lower courts and appeals, Yen was sentenced to jail for 3.5 years by the Supreme Court over grafting, abetting stand-in, and violating ammunition law, and was handed disfranchisement for 3 years. He therefore was disqualified and ceased to be a legislator.[4]

Candidates

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A total of three candidates ran in the by-election to succeed Yen, the candidate number was announced on 8 January 2013.[5]

  • Yen Kuan-heng: Eldest son of Yen Ching-piao, former member of the National Assembly supported by Non-Partisan Solidarity Union,[6] nominated by Kuomintang on 19 December 2012.[7]
  • Yu Sih-jia: Nominated by All People's Party on 21 December 2012,[8] but the party revoked support on 8 January 2013.[5]
  • Chen Shih-kai: Taichung City Councilor, nominated by Democratic Progressive Party on 17 December 2012 following a win in the party's opinion poll.[9][10]

Result

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Yen narrowly won the election and succeeded his father with a lead of less than 1%.[11]

2013 Taichung legislative by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Kuomintang Yen Kuan-heng 66,457 49.95
DPP Chen Shih-kai 65,319 49.09
Independent Yu Sih-jia 1,283 0.96
Total valid votes 133,059 100.00
Rejected ballots
Turnout 48.89
Registered electors
Kuomintang gain from NPSU Swing
Popular vote
Yen
49.95%
Chen
49.09%
Yu
0.96%

Controversies

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The by-election was held less than two months after Yen was disqualified, earlier than the average of three months. DPP officials accused the authorities of trying to discourage other candidates to run, while the Central Election Commission officials said they considered holding the election before Lunar New Year holiday such that new legislator can be sworn in at the beginning of the new session.[12] The Yen family was also suspected of bribery during the campaign.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "中央選舉委員會新聞稿". Central Election Commission. 2012-12-07. Archived from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  2. ^ "顏氏王朝/最具影響力政治家族 事業橫跨砂石瀝青營造". rwnews (in Chinese). Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  3. ^ a b "中縣議長顏清標遭收押". 聯合報. 2001-02-28. Archived from the original on 2012-05-12.
  4. ^ "顏清標喝花酒 判3年半定讞將入監". Apple Daily. 2012-11-28.
  5. ^ a b 張, 菁雅; 俞, 泊霖 (2013-01-09). "台中立委補選抽籤 顏寬恒一號 陳世凱三號". Liberty Times.
  6. ^ "長子將代父出征補選 接棒顏清標". Apple Daily. 2012-11-29.
  7. ^ "中常會通過提名顏寬恒參選台中市第二選區立委補選". Kuomintang. 2012-12-19. Archived from the original on 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  8. ^ "第8屆立法委員臺中市第2選舉區缺額補選候選人登記情形一覽表" (PDF). 臺中市選舉委員會. 2012-12-21.
  9. ^ 葉, 素萍 (2012-12-17). "中市立委補選 綠提名陳世凱". CNA. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  10. ^ "綠補選提名 陳世凱:非家族世襲的選戰". Newtalk. 2012-12-17.
  11. ^ "第8屆立法委員臺中市第2選舉區缺額補選選舉結果". Central Election Commission. 2013-01-26. Archived from the original on 2016-08-20.
  12. ^ "顏清標選區// 1.26補選立委 綠:護航顏家". Liberty Times. 2012-12-08.
  13. ^ "侯錄音曝光 顏寬恆岳父:誰沒買票". New Talk. 2014-02-21. Archived from the original on 2014-03-05. Retrieved 2014-11-16.