Chen Chu
Kiku Chen Chu (Chinese: 陳菊; pinyin: Chén Jú; Wade–Giles: Ch'en2 Chü2; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Kiok; born 10 June 1950) is a Taiwanese politician serving as president of the Control Yuan and chairwomen of the National Human Rights Commission since 2020. Before assuming her current post, Chen had served as Secretary-General to the President from 2018 to 2020 and Mayor of Kaohsiung from 2006 to 2018, making her the longest-serving mayor of the city since the Japanese occupation of Taiwan.
Kiku Chen Chu | |
|---|---|
陳菊 | |
Official portrait, 2020 | |
| 10th President of the Control Yuan | |
| Assumed office 1 August 2020 | |
| Appointed by | Tsai Ing-wen |
| Vice President | Lee Hung-chun |
| Preceded by | Chang Po-ya |
| Chair of National Human Rights Commission | |
| Assumed office 1 August 2020 | |
| Deputy | See list
|
| Preceded by | Position established |
| 35th Secretary-General to the President | |
| In office 23 April 2018 – 20 May 2020 | |
| President | Tsai Ing-wen |
| Deputy | Liu Chien-sin Lee Chun-yi |
| Preceded by | Liu Chien-sin (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Su Jia-chyuan |
| 1st Mayor of Kaohsiung | |
| In office 25 December 2006 – 20 April 2018 | |
| Deputy | See list
|
| Preceded by | Yeh Chu-lan (acting) Yang Chiu-hsing |
| Succeeded by | Hsu Li-ming (acting) |
| Chair of the Democratic Progressive Party | |
| Acting 29 February 2012 – 30 May 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Tsai Ing-wen |
| Succeeded by | Su Tseng-chang |
| 6th Minister of the Council of Labor Affairs | |
| In office 20 May 2000 – 19 September 2005 | |
| Prime Minister | Tang Fei Chang Chun-hsiung Yu Shyi-kun Frank Hsieh |
| Preceded by | Chan Huo-shen |
| Succeeded by | Lee Ying-yuan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joyce Chen Chu 10 June 1950 Sanxing, Luodong, Taipei County, Taiwan |
| Nationality | Taiwan |
| Political party | Democratic Progressive Party (1986–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Chinese Youth Party (1969–1979) |
| Alma mater | Shih Hsin University National Sun Yat-sen University |
| Profession | Politician |
Prior to her entrance into politics, Chen was one of the eight prominent dissidents, namely "Kaohsiung Eight", arrested and charged after the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979. She was put behind bars for almost six years during the martial law period in Taiwan.
Chen had also served in various capacities with the Taipei and Kaohsiung city governments between 1995 and 2000, with the latter being the year when she graduated from the National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) with a master's degree in public affairs. She then served as Minister of the Council of Labor Affairs, the precursor to present-day Ministry of Labor, in various cabinets between 2000 and 2005. Chen won the 2006 Kaohsiung mayoral election and became the Republic of China's first directly-elected female mayor of a special municipality. She was twice reelected in 2010 and 2014 with about 53% and 68% of the votes respectively.
Nearly a month after she tendered her resignation from the role of Secretary-General to the President, President Tsai Ing-wen nominated Chen, who supports abolishing altogether the Examination Yuan and Control Yuan, as the next President of the Control Yuan on 22 June 2020 amid dissent from the opposition. Legislative Yuan confirmed the nomination on a 65-3 vote after days of violence in the chamber. Lawmakers from the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party boycotted the vote whereas all New Power Party lawmakers cast their dissent votes.
The Democratic Progressive Party, which Chen helped to found, temporarily suspended her membership during her tenure as President of the Control Yuan according to party rules. Chen had expressed hopes of becoming the last President of the Control Yuan after helping to secure passage of the amendments to the Constitution.