Chang Cheng-hsiung

Not to be confused with Cheng Chang-hsiung.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Chang.
Chang on 12 January 2008

Chang Cheng-hsiung (Chinese: 張政雄; born 24 November 1941) is a Taiwanese lawyer who chaired the Central Election Commission from 2004 to 2009.

Prior to his appointment as chair of the Central Election Commission, Chang had practiced law for 37 years. He served as legal counsel for dissidents arrested during the Kaohsiung Incident of 1979.[1] Chang has also served on the board of China Aviation Development Foundation.[2]

Chang was nominated to the chairmanship of the Central Election Commission in June 2004.[1][3] In June 2007, Kuomintang legislators criticized Chang for scheduling elections for the seventh Legislative Yuan on 12 January 2008.[4] The 2008 Taiwanese transitional justice referendum was scheduled for the same date, and local governments affiliated with the Pan-Blue Coalition announced that voters within their jurisdiction would use two-step voting, in which legislative ballots and referendum ballots were obtained and cast separately, instead of one-step voting mandated by the Central Election Commission, in which voters would receive and cast legislative and referendum ballots at the same time. Chang spoke out against the Kuomintang's decision, and stated that ballots cast via two-step voting would be ruled invalid.[5][6] Chang later stated in December 2007 that voters could receive ballots separately if, during the voting process, they did not leave the polling place.[7][8][9] Chang stepped down from the Central Election Commission in November 2009, expressing concern that a new commission was to be sworn in a month before local elections, despite the fact that the terms of outgoing members would not expire until June 2010.[10]

  1. ^ a b Yiu, Cody (18 June 2004). "The CEC is facing many challenges: new chairman". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  2. ^ Lai, Cheryl (27 June 2000). "University head may be tapped to lead CAL reform". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  3. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (15 June 2004). "Premier appoints new CEC chairman". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  4. ^ Hirsch, Max (8 June 2007). "Chairman of CEC defends decision on election schedule". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  5. ^ Hsu, Hsiu-chuan; Ko, Shu-ling (29 November 2007). "Two-step voting against the law: Chang". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  6. ^ Hsu, Jenny; Wang, Flora; Chang, Rich; Shih, Hsiu-chuan; Mo, Yan(-chih) (19 December 2007). "CEC says two-step voting is invalid". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  7. ^ Shih, Hsiu-chuan; Wang, Flora (28 December 2007). "CEC announces compromise on two-step polling". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  8. ^ Mo, Yan-chih; Shih, Hsiu-chuan (30 December 2007). "KMT accepts CEC voting compromise". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  9. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (31 December 2007). "Chen lauds KMT 'compromise'". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  10. ^ Loa, Iok-sin (5 November 2009). "CEC impartiality under question: former head". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.