Lin Cho-shui

Lin Cho-shui MLY
林濁水
Lin in August 2012
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office 1 February 2002 – 15 November 2006
Constituency	Republic of China
In office 1 February 1993 – 31 January 2002
Constituency	Tainan 1
Personal details
Born	(1947-03-25) 25 March 1947 Puli, Nantou
Nationality	Taiwanese
Political party	Democratic Progressive Party (since 1986)
Alma mater	National Chengchi University
Occupation	Politician

Lin Cho-shui (Chinese: 林濁水; born 25 March 1947) is a Taiwanese writer, newspaper editor and politician who served in the Legislative Yuan from 1993 to 2006. He was a longtime member of the Democratic Progressive Party's New Tide faction.

Education

Lin earned a bachelor's degree at National Chengchi University.^[1]

Political career

Lin was an original member of the New Tide faction, a group within the Democratic Progressive Party formed by tangwai movement activists to oppose DPP politician Kang Ning-hsiang and later supportive of Chen Shui-bian.^[2][3] Lin helped write the's party's founding charter.^[4] In 1998, it was suggested that the party platform be revised.^[5] Lin and Julian Kuo drafted an amendment delineating the DPP's acceptance of the Republic of China as the official name for Taiwan.^[6] By January 1999, it was decided that changes to the party platform would not be made.^[4]

Lin was elected to the Legislative Yuan three times as a representative of Tainan 1. For a portion of his first term, Lin was the Democratic Progressive Party caucus whip.^[7] In 1999, the Ministry of the Interior proposed a law on referendums. Lin opposed the bill, because the MOI draft did not make Taiwanese sovereignty an issue eligible for referendum.^[8] He won the 2001 and 2004 legislative elections via party-list proportional representation. In July 2003, President Chen Shui-bian recommended that the Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant and Taiwan's membership in the World Trade Organization both be considered for referendum, a move Lin supported.^[9] When the Referendum Act was promulgated in December 2003, a referendum on cross-strait relations did indeed occur in March 2004. A "sunshine code" provision, which mandated the use of blind trusts for all members of the Executive Yuan and every overseas diplomat, passed in February 2006 with support from Lin.^[10] In June 2006, the Statute Governing Preferential Treatment for Retired Presidents and Vice Presidents was revised, lowering pensions for former leaders of Taiwan. Lin stated that the amendments were not adequate.^[11] Also that month, Lin asked Chiou I-jen to step down as claims of corruption within the Chen administration began.^[12] Lin had pledged to resign if Chen were detained,^[13] and gave up his seat on 13 November 2006,^[14] officially leaving the legislature on 15 November.^[15] Lin declared his candidacy for the legislative elections of 2008, and quit the race after winning only 11.01% of the vote in a party primary.^[16]

Political stances

Lin supports the Taiwan independence movement and believes that Cross-Strait relations are of an international nature.^[17][18][19] He often writes for the Taipei Times. Editorials authored for the publication have criticized increasing government bureaucracy,^[20] and the policies and actions of Ma Ying-jeou.^[21][22][23] Lin has written on party politics within the Democratic Progressive Party,^[24] and believes vice chairman positions within political parties contribute to bureaucracy.^[25] Lin has also expressed disapproval of the DPP,^[26][27] specifically targeting politicians Annette Lu and Yen Ching-chang.^[28][29] He supports pension reform,^[30] and expanding the investigative powers of the legislature and Control Yuan.^[31]

Lin has covered the 1992 Consensus repeatedly,^[32][33][34] as well as Cross-Strait relations,^{[35][36][37][38]} and China itself in his writings.^[39] Lin's contributions to the Times further include political survey analysis and opinions on the use and meaning of national symbols.^[40][41][42]

References

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