Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九; Hanyu Pinyin: Mǎ Yīngjiǔ; Wade-Giles: Ma Ying-chiu; Tongyong Pinyin: Ma Yingjiou) (born July 13, 1950) was elected mayor of Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China in 1998 and reelected in 2002. He was elected the leader of the Kuomintang by party members on the July 16, 2005. He is ineligible to run for mayor a third time in 2006 due to term limits; instead, he is viewed as a likely presidential candidate in 2008. City nickname: the City of Azaleas Capital District Xinyi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 16 of 25 271. ... The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party of China (Traditional: 中國國民黨; Simplified: 中国国民党; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguo Guomindang) is a conservative political party currently active in the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... July 13th is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... In modern day Hong Kong, Kowloon (九龍, Mandarin: Jiulong, lit. ... For information on the type of fish called Lawyer, see the article on Burbot. ... Political parties in Taiwan lists political parties in Taiwan (Republic of China). ... The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party of China (Traditional: 中國國民黨; Simplified: 中国国民党; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguo Guomindang) is a conservative political party currently active in the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. ... Pinyin (拼音, Pīnyīn) literally means join (together) sounds (a less literal translation being phoneticize, spell or transcription) in Chinese and usually refers to Hànyǔ Pīnyīn (汉语拼音, literal meaning: Han language pinyin), which is a system of romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration to roman script) for Standard Mandarin used in the... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... Tongyong Pinyin (通用拼音, literally Universal/General Usage Sound-combining) is the current official romanization of the Chinese language adopted by the national government (although not all local governments) of the Republic of China (on Taiwan) since late 2000, announced by the Mandarin Promotion Council of the Ministry of Education. ... July 13th is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... City nickname: the City of Azaleas Capital District Xinyi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 16 of 25 271. ... National motto: None Official language Mandarin Chinese Capital and largest city Taipei President Chen Shui-bian Premier Frank Hsieh Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 138th 35,980 km² 2. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party of China (Traditional: 中國國民黨; Simplified: 中国国民党; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguo Guomindang) is a conservative political party currently active in the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. ... July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A term limit is a provision of a constitution, statute, or bylaw which limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. ... // Predicted events January-June January 15 - NASAs MESSENGER spacecraft makes the first of three flybys of Mercury. ...

As Minister of Justice he was seen as viciously cracking down on "black gold", especially in his own party and government. His personal charisma has made him one of Taiwan's most popular politicians and he retains a following from citizens, which are primarily pan-blue. Black gold (Chinese: 黑金; pinyin: hēi jīn) is a term used in the Republic of China (Taiwan) to refer to political corruption. ... The Pan-Blue Coalition, or Pan-Blue Force (Chinese: 泛藍軍; pinyin: fàn lán jūn), is a political coalition in early 21st century Taiwan, consisting of the Kuomintang (KMT), the People First Party (PFP), and the smaller New Party (CNP). ...

Personal background

Ma was born in Hong Kong (Kwong Wah Hospital in Kowloon), then a British colony, to Hunanese parents. When he was a year old, his family, supporters of the Kuomintang (KMT), moved to Taiwan. Ma himself has claimed that his parents had already been in Taiwan before he was born, and his father was on assignment to Hong Kong when he was born there; it is not clear what assignment Ma was referring to. He is therefore part of the so-called "Mainlander" category of the populace of Taiwan. He earned a law degree from National Taiwan University in 1972. With a scholarship from the KMT, he first acquired a masters degree in law from New York University and then proceeded to earn a doctorate in law from Harvard University in the United States. (Later, after he became a politician, Ma was accused by some Pan Green politicians of having spied on fellow students from Taiwan on behalf of the KMT regime during this period, a charge he denies.) He returned to Taiwan in 1981 to teach law. In modern day Hong Kong, Kowloon (九龍, Mandarin: Jiulong, lit. ... Hunan (Chinese: 湖南; pinyin: ) is a province of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence the name Hunan, meaning south of the lake). Hunan is sometimes called 湘 (pinyin: Xiāng) for short, after the Xiang River which runs through the province. ... The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party of China (Traditional: 中國國民黨; Simplified: 中国国民党; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguo Guomindang) is a conservative political party currently active in the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. ... Mainlanders are those humans who live, or were born, in a mainland. ... National Taiwan University (NTU, 國立臺灣大學, Hō-ló-oÄ“: Kok-lip Tai-oan Tai-hak, Tongyong Pinyin: GuóLì TáiWan DàSyué, Hanyu Pinyin: Guólì táiwān dàxué, Wade-Giles: Kuo2-li4 tai2-wan1 ta4-hsüeh2) is a university in Taiwan. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... New York University (NYU) is a major research university in New York City. ... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ... The Pan-Green Coalition, or Pan-Green Force (Chinese: 泛綠軍; pinyin: fànlǜjūn), is an informal political alliance in early 21st century Taiwan, consisting of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), and the Taiwan Independence Party (TAIP). ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Rise in politics

With the personal connections of his father, Ma Ho-ling (馬鶴凌), he started working in the presidential palace under Chiang Ching-kuo within a half year after he acquired his S.J.D. Later he became the personal translator for Chiang Ching-kuo. Ma was promoted to the chair of the Research, Development, and Evaluation Commission under Executive Yuan at the age of 38 and had became the youngest cabinet member of the ROC. Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國 in pinyin: JiÇŽng JÄ«ngguó) (April 271, 1910 - January 13, 1988), Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China (from 1949 on Taiwan). ... Legum Doctor (English: Doctor of Laws; abbreviated to LL.D.) In the UK, Australia and New Zealand, the LL.D. is a doctorate usually awarded on the basis of exceptionally insightful and distinctive publications, containing significant and original contributions to the science or study of law. ... Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國 in pinyin: JiÇŽng JÄ«ngguó) (April 271, 1910 - January 13, 1988), Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China (from 1949 on Taiwan). ... The Executive Yuan (行政院; literally executive court) is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China. ...

He was deputy secretary-general of the KMT from 1981 to 1988, for some time also serving as head of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), a cabinet-level body in charge of cross-straits relations. President Lee Teng-hui appointed him Justice Minister in 1993. Ma opposed modification of Article 100 concerning criminal law, which was used by the authoritarian ROC government to incriminate dissidents before martial law was lifted in 1987. He also opposed constitutional reforms that would have Taiwan's president elected directly by popular vote. He was relieved of his post in 1996, reputedly because he proved too effective at fighting black gold political corruption within his own party. After a short stint as a minister without portfolio, Ma returned to academia, and most people at the time believed his political career to have ended. 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC; Chinese: 大陸委員會) is a cabinet-level administrative agency under the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China. ... The Office of the President of the Republic of China is located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei City. ... Lee Teng-hui, former President of the Republic of China Lee Teng-hui (Chinese: 李登輝; Taiwanese Romanization: Lí Teng-hui; pinyin: Lǐ DÄ“nghuÄ«; born January 15, 1923) is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Black gold (Chinese: 黑金; pinyin: hÄ“i jÄ«n) is a term used in the Republic of China (Taiwan) to refer to political corruption. ... A Minister without Portfolio is a government minister with no specific responsibilities. ...

Mayorship

However, in 1998 the KMT, faced with no other credible candidates, did field him to challenge the then-incumbent Taipei mayor, Chen Shui-bian of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who was seeking re-election. His honest, clean-cut image (and baby face appearance) helped him win 51% of the vote. In the 2000 Presidential Election, Ma remained loyal to the Kuomintang and supported its candidate Lien Chan over James Soong who had bolted from the party. The competition between Lien and Soong split the pan-blue votes and allowed his former rival Chen Shui-bian to win the presidential election with votes below 50% of the popular votes. This, combined with Soong's good showing and Lien's poor showing, incited a great deal of anger against Ma when he tried to dissuade discontented Lien and Soong supporters from rioting by appealing to them as city mayor and a high-ranking KMT member. It was evidenced by one famous moment, in which he was pelted with eggs from Lien and Soong's supporters. City nickname: the City of Azaleas Capital District Xinyi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 16 of 25 271. ... Chen Shui-bian, President of the Republic of China Chen Shui-bian (ch. ... DPP Flag The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (Chinese: 民主進步黨; abbrev. ... The Election for the 10th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China (第十任中華民國總統、副總統選舉), the second ever direct elections for President and Vice President of the Republic of China on Taiwan and the 10th under the 1947 Constitution, were held on March 18, 2000. ... Dr. Lien Chan Lien Chan (連戰, in pinyin: Lián Zhàn) (born August 27, 1936, in Xian) is a Taiwanese politician. ... Soong Chu-yu James Chu-yu Soong (宋楚瑜 Wade-Giles: Sung Chu-yü; pinyin: Sòng ChÇ”yú; born March 16, 1942) is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. ... Chen Shui-bian, President of the Republic of China Chen Shui-bian (ch. ...

Ma was able to repair this damage and, in December 2002, became the superstar of the KMT by easily winning reelection with the support of 64% of Taipei voters, while his DPP challenger, a novice politician Lee Ying-yuan, received only 36 percent. His solid victory, especially in light of opposition from both President Chen Shui-bian and former President and former KMT Chairman Lee Teng-hui, led many to speculate about his chances as the KMT candidate for the 2004 presidential elections, although nothing came of it. Lee Teng-hui, former President of the Republic of China Lee Teng-hui (Chinese: 李登輝; Taiwanese Romanization: Lí Teng-hui; pinyin: Lǐ Dēnghuī; born January 15, 1923) is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. ...

Ma suffered some political damage as a result of the SARS epidemic in early 2003 and was criticized for not mobilizing the Taipei city government quickly enough. Flooding in metropolitan Taipei in 2004 also led to public questioning of his leadership and caused slides in Ma's approval rating. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is an atypical form of pneumonia. ...

During his administration years, Ma had many conflicts with the central government over such matters as health insurance rates and control of the water supply during the drought. Ma also was implicated in a scandal of Taipei Bank stock releases in 2003; however, the case was dismissed by the Taipei prosecutor after an investigation. He was strongly criticized by the opposing party for not allowing the ROC national flag to be flown along with a PRC flag during a cross-strait soccer match held in Taipei. Ma responded that he was merely following Olympic protocol, which only officially recognizes the Chinese Taipei Olympic Flag, and forbids ROC national flags from being shown in an Olympic Game Stadium. TaipeiBank is a bank based in Taiwan. ... The word protocol derives from a Greek phrase meaning first leaf, referring to the first draft of a treaty. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 The flag of the Republic of China is red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays. ...

His initiatives in administering the city of Taipei include changing the street names into Hanyu Pinyin, the spelling compatible with mainland China, as opposed to the Taiwanese-developed Tongyong Pinyin. Ma has expressed mild support for Chinese reunification and opposition to Taiwan independence. He opposed the 2004 referendum, which had been widely criticized by the U.S. and PRC. Nevertheless, his opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China (while other leaders of his party remained silent on the issue) led him to be banned from visiting Hong Kong to make a public speaking tour in 2005. Pinyin (拼音, Pīnyīn) literally means join (together) sounds (a less literal translation being phoneticize, spell or transcription) in Chinese and usually refers to Hànyǔ Pīnyīn (汉语拼音, literal meaning: Han language pinyin), which is a system of romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration to roman script) for Standard Mandarin used in the... Tongyong Pinyin (通用拼音, literally Universal/General Usage Sound-combining) is the current official romanization of the Chinese language adopted by the national government (although not all local governments) of the Republic of China (on Taiwan) since late 2000, announced by the Mandarin Promotion Council of the Ministry of Education. ... Chinese reunification is a goal of Chinese nationalism which is the unification of all of China under a single political entity. ... Taiwan independence (Chinese: 台灣獨立, pinyin: Táiwān dúlì, Taiwanese Romanization: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p; abbreviated to 台獨, Táidú, Tâi-to̍k) is a political movement whose goal is primarily to create an independent and sovereign Republic of Taiwan (out of the lands currently administered... A nation-wide consultative referendum (全國性公民投票) was held in the Republic of China (Taiwan) on March 20, 2004 to coincide with the 2004 presidential election. ... The Anti-Secession Law (Chinese: 反分裂国家法; pinyin: ; literally Against-Splitting-the-State Law) is a law passed by the third conference of the 10th National Peoples Congress of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Ma's cross-political following has led some to note him as a rare example of relative civility in Taiwanese politics. In recent years, Ma has increasingly employed Taiwanese (Hoklo) in public speaking, perhaps to avoid backlash for his parents' mainland origin, and he has called himself a "child of Bangka (Wanhua)," identifying himself with the historic district of Taipei where he grew up. However, others claim that Ma's mainland Chinese ancestry will further alienate members of the KMT who are "light-blue" vs. the pro-unification "dark-blue." Ma's critics claim that Ma, in overeagerness to appear unbiased and/or neutral in disputes, has been overly indecisive. Among these critics, Ma has been referred to as "non-stick pan" or "Teflon-man." Taiwanese (Chinese: 台語, 台灣話 or 福佬話; Taiwanese Pe̍h-oÄ“-jÄ«: Tâi-oân-oÄ“ or Hō-ló-oÄ“; Hanyu Pinyin: TáiyÇ” or Táiwānhuà) is the primary spoken language of 70% of the Taiwanese population. ... Wanhua District (Chinese: 萬華區, Wade Giles: Wan-hua, Tongyong Pinyin: Wanhua), formerly Bangka, is Taipei Citys oldest district. ... Teflon is the brand name of a polymer compound discovered by Roy J. Plunkett (1910-1994) of DuPont in 1938 and introduced as a commercial product in 1946. ... cast-iron iron enamel stainless steel The cooking pan is a type of food preparation utensil commonly found in the kitchen which includes many more specific cooking vessels such as saucepans and frying pans (or fry pans). ... Teflon is the brand name of a polymer compound discovered by Roy J. Plunkett (1910-1994) of DuPont in 1938 and introduced as a commercial product in 1946. ...

Election to KMT Chairmanship

Ma's prestige increased after the loss by Lien Chan in 2004 ROC Presidential Election as he is widely seen as the natural successor of Lien Chan. His handling of the post-election demonstrations of the Pan-Blue Coalition, in which he at one point sent riot police to control the demonstrations of his pan-blue party supporters, was generally seen as impartial. In 2005, Ma and Wang Jin-pyng were candidates in the first competitive election for KMT chairmanship. On 5 April 2005, in an exclusive interview with CTV talk show host Sisy Chen, Ma said he wished to lead the opposition Kuomintang with Wang, if he were elected its chairman, as their support bases are complementary. On July 16, 2005, Ma defeated Wang by a 72% to 28% margin, a margin larger than anticipated by either camp or news sources, despite Wang's receiving a last-minute endorsement by People First Party (PFP) chairman James Soong, who had retained significant following within the KMT. Some, particularly the supporters of Wang Jin-pyng, accuse Ma of unfairly implying that Wang is involved in "black gold" and criticized Ma's aides for being rude to Wang during the campaign. After the election, Ma has stated repeatedly that he wishes Wang to remain as first-ranked deputy chairman. Wang, however, has so far rebuffed the gesture, instead stating that he wishes to serve as "permanent volunteer." Wang has, indeed, accepted a party post that is incompatible with vice chairmanship, effectively ending the possibility that he would be vice chairman, although after meeting with Wang, Ma has stated that he would "leave the position open" for Wang. Ma has also repeatedly stated that he has no plans to resign from the Taipei mayorship, even after he formally took over the chairmanship from incombent Lien Chan during the 17th Party Congress of the KMT in August 2005. Dr. Lien Chan Lien Chan (連戰, in pinyin: Lián Zhàn) (born August 27, 1936, in Xian) is a Taiwanese politician. ... Elections for the President and Vice President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) were held on March 20, 2004. ... Dr. Lien Chan Lien Chan (連戰, in pinyin: Lián Zhàn) (born August 27, 1936, in Xian) is a Taiwanese politician. ... The Pan-Blue Coalition, or Pan-Blue Force (Chinese: 泛藍軍; pinyin: fàn lán jÅ«n), is a political coalition in early 21st century Taiwan, consisting of the Kuomintang (KMT), the People First Party (PFP), and the smaller New Party (CNP). ... Dennis Hastert and Wang Jin-pyng in Washington, DC. Wang Jin-pyng (Chinese: 王金平, pinyin: Wáng JÄ«npíng) (born March 17, 1941), Taiwanese politician, is the President of the Legislative Yuan and one of six vice chairmen of the Kuomintang. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Sisy Wen-hsien Chen (陳文茜; pinyin: Chén Wénqiàn, b. ... July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The People First Party (親民黨, pinyin: Qīnmíndǎng) is a conservative political party in the Republic of China on Taiwan. ... Soong Chu-yu James Chu-yu Soong (宋楚瑜 Wade-Giles: Sung Chu-yü; pinyin: Sòng ChÇ”yú; born March 16, 1942) is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. ... Dennis Hastert and Wang Jin-pyng in Washington, DC. Wang Jin-pyng (Chinese: 王金平, pinyin: Wáng JÄ«npíng) (born March 17, 1941), Taiwanese politician, is the President of the Legislative Yuan and one of six vice chairmen of the Kuomintang. ... This group of political volunteers is working to promote voter turn-out. ...

Personal

Ma is married with two daughters and is an avid jogger and swimmer.

Ma has recently been embarrassed in a public incident involving alcohol. After attending a meeting of the Kuomintang Central Standing Committee in August 2005, then-chairman-elect Ma participated in a luncheon at the party's headquarters with retired generals, drank substantial quantities of alcohol in front of the TV cameras, and made comments and actions that appeared to show strong signs of intoxication. This was in direct contravention to an order Ma himself had issued as mayor -- that key officials in the Taipei City administration were not to use any alcohol during the work day. Ma has since apologized for the incident. The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party of China (Traditional: 中國國民黨; Simplified: 中国国民党; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguo Guomindang) is a conservative political party currently active in the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. ...

See also

• Politics of Taiwan

The Republic of China (ROC) currently has jurisdiction over Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, and the Pescadores Islands (Penghu) and several smaller islands. ...

Chen Shui-bian, President of the Republic of China Chen Shui-bian (ch. ... A mayor (from the Latin maÄ«or, meaning larger,greater) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. ... City nickname: the City of Azaleas Capital District Xinyi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 16 of 25 271. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Dr. Lien Chan Lien Chan (連戰, in pinyin: Lián Zhàn) (born August 27, 1936, in Xian) is a Taiwanese politician. ... The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party of China (Traditional: 中國國民黨; Simplified: 中国国民党; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguo Guomindang) is a conservative political party currently active in the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...