Wei Yao-chien (Chinese: 魏耀乾; pinyin: Wèi Yàoqián; Wade–Giles: Wei4 Yao4-chʻien2; born 5 February 1950) is a Taiwanese politician.
Wei Yao-chien | |
|---|---|
魏耀乾 | |
| Member of the Legislative Yuan | |
| In office 1 February 1990 – 31 January 1996 | |
| Constituency | Tainan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 February 1950 Jiali, Tainan County, Taiwan |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Home Party Democratic Progressive Party |
| Alma mater | University of Essex National Taiwan University |
| Occupation | politician |
| Profession | dentist |
Early life and career
editWei was born on 5 February 1950 in Tainan to a conservative family with strong ties to the Kuomintang.[1][2] He attended the University of Essex and completed further study at Harvard University as well as Yale University before he was trained as a dentist.[1][2] He later earned a master's degree in political science at National Taiwan University.[1]
Political career
editWei turned against the Kuomintang after Fang Su-min and Lin Yi-hsiung's twin daughters were stabbed to death in 1979.[2] His friendship with Frank Hsieh also contributed to Wei's political beliefs.[2] Wei represented Tainan for two terms on the Legislative Yuan, from 1990 to 1996, as a member of the Democratic Progressive Party.[2][3] During his legislative tenure, Wei became known for fighting fellow lawmakers.[2] Wei alluded to his dental practice in describing physical confrontation attempts to "pull the tiger's teeth."[2] Wei left the Democratic Progressive Party to run an independent campaign for the Tainan County magistracy in 2001. Though a July 2001 opinion poll showed that Wei had not garnered much support,[4] a potential split in the Pan-Green Coalition's voter base between Wei and Su Huan-chih was still considered damaging to Su.[2][5] Wei's campaign was run by former Tainan deputy magistrate Lin Wen-ding.[6] Wei was placed on the Home Party list during the 2008 legislative elections, but not elected to the Legislative Yuan.[7] He contested the Lienchiang County magistracy as an independent in 2018.[8][1] In October 2023, Wei began campaigning for the January 2024 legislative election.[9][10]
Activism
editIn 2006, Wei served as executive director of the Million Voices Against Corruption, President Chen Must Go campaign led by Shih Ming-teh.[11] In this position, Wei acted as a spokesman and represented the campaign to the Legislative Yuan.[12][13] In February 2014, Wei founded the Jiawu Regime Change organization alongside fellow former legislators Chen Wan-chen and Payen Talu, among others, to advocate Taiwan independence.[14] Wei was in attendance at Tsai Ing-wen's presidential inauguration on 20 May 2016, alongside a group of protestors advocating for the replacement of the Constitution of the Republic of China with a Taiwan-centric supreme law.[15] In 2018, Wei and another former legislator, Liang Mu-yang, led a demonstration on the 71st anniversary of the 228 incident, again in support of a rewritten constitution for Taiwan.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "福建省連江縣第七屆縣長、縣議員選舉 選舉公報" (PDF) (in Chinese). Central Election Commission. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Huang, Joyce (20 November 2001). "Dec. 1 elections: Ex-DPP heavyweight goes it alone". Taipei Times. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ "Wei Yao-chien (2)". Legislative Yuan. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ "Tainan County opinion poll causes political spat". Taipei Times. 8 August 2001. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ Chiu, Yu-tzu. "Dec. 1 elections: Candidates search far and wide for votes in Kinmen". Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ Huang, Joyce (20 November 2001). "Dec. 1 elections: Infighting threatens DPP candidate's chances for victory". Taipei Times. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ "〈快訊〉不分區立委開票結果 一覽表" (in Chinese). TVBS. 12 January 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ "馬祖大未來／魏耀乾：解除軍事武裝 馬祖直屬總統府 成兩岸「和平特區」". Yahoo! News Taiwan. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ "民進黨創黨元老！現無黨籍魏耀乾 投入台南第1選區立委選舉". United Daily News (in Chinese). 6 October 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ "無黨籍魏耀乾 投入台南第1選區立委選舉". China Times (in Chinese). 6 October 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Ko, Shu-ling (1 September 2006). "Pan-blues want their Shih sit-in donations back". Taipei Times. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ Mo, Yan-chih; Ko, Shu-ling (28 September 2006). "Anti-Chen camp returns to Taipei Railway Station". Taipei Times. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ Wang, Flora (31 October 2006). "Shih campaign proposes corruption statute amendment". Taipei Times. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ Wang, Chris (27 May 2014). "New group to highlight nation's missing history". Taipei Times. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ Gerber, Abraham (21 May 2016). "Tsai Inauguration: Demonstrators gather to be heard by new president". Taipei Times. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ Pan, Jason (24 February 2018). "Local groups hold 228 memorial in Tsai's hometown". Taipei Times. Retrieved 23 February 2019.