Hou Yu-ih explained

Hou Yu-ih
Native Name Lang:zh-hant
Order:2nd
Office:Mayor of New Taipei
Term Start:25 December 2018
Predecessor:Eric Chu
Deputy2:Chen Shen-hsien
Term Start2:20 October 2015
Term End2:18 January 2016
Term Label2:Acting
Predecessor2:Eric Chu
Successor2:Eric Chu
Office3:1st Deputy Mayor of New Taipei
1Blankname3:Mayor
1Namedata3:Eric Chu
Alongside3:Lee Shu-chuan, Hsu Chih-chien and Chen Shen-hsien
Term Start3:25 December 2010
Term End3:28 February 2018
Predecessor3:Position established
Successor3:Lu Wei-chin
Office5:17th President of the Central Police University
Term Start5:21 June 2008
Term End5:24 December 2010
Successor5:Hsieh Hsiu-neng
Office6:13th Director-General of the National Police Agency
President6:Chen Shui-bian
Ma Ying-jeou
Term Start6:June 2006
Term End6:20 June 2008
Predecessor6:Hsieh Ing-dan
Successor6:Wang Cho-chiun
Birth Date:6 June 1956
Birth Place:Puzi, Taiwan
Party:Kuomintang (1975–2002, 2013–present)
Democratic Progressive Party (2002–2013)
Spouse:Jen Mei-ling
Children:4
Education:Central Police University (BA)
Signature:Signature of Hou Yu-ih.png

Hou Yu-ih (; born 6 June 1956) is a Taiwanese politician and former police officer. He has been the incumbent mayor of New Taipei since 25 December 2018.[1] Previously, he served as Director-General of the National Police Agency from 2006 to 2008 and as acting mayor of New Taipei City from October 2015 to January 2016. He was the Kuomintang's official candidate for the 2024 Taiwanese presidential elections. He first joined the party during the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek.

Law enforcement career

Upon his graduation from the Central Police University, Hou was sent to the Taipei City Police Department. Hou obtained his first leadership role, as captain of the Taipei criminal police, in 1980. In 1992, he became an inspector at the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB), a division of the National Police Agency (NPA). Five years later, he led the rescue of the Alexander family.[2] In 1998 Hou was named second in command of the CIB. He was given the concurrent post of Taoyuan County police chief in 2001 and promoted within the NPA in 2003, becoming the leader of the CIB.[3] The next year, Hou was tasked with investigating the March 19 shooting incident,[4] an assassination attempt on President Chen Shui-bian, a longtime friend.[5] He was named the director-general of the NPA in 2006, becoming the youngest leader of the police force at the time of his appointment.[6] During his tenure, the NPA was criticized for its inadequate response to the 2006 protests led by Shih Ming-teh.[7] [8] Multiple Kuomintang politicians also wanted Hou to reopen the investigation on the 3-19 shooting incident. Arms dealer Tang Shou-yi, who had fled to Mainland China by August 2006, had recanted his confession, stating that it was coerced and therefore untrue.[9] Hou was named the president of Central Police University in 2008[10] and was replaced at the NPA by .[11]

Early political career

Hou originally joined the Kuomintang in 1974, but allowed his membership to lapse during his law enforcement career.[12] [13] Hou was recruited to join the Democratic Progressive Party in 2002.[14] Eric Chu asked Hou to serve as deputy mayor of New Taipei City in 2010,[15] and Hou rejoined the Kuomintang in 2013.[13] Hou served as deputy mayor alongside Lee Shu-chuan and Hsu Chih-chien who left office on 25 February 2014 and 30 June 2014, respectively.[16] [17] [18] Later, Chen Shen-hsien was appointed to the deputy mayorship.[19] Hou was promoted from his previous position as deputy mayor on 20 October 2015, as Chu prepared for the 2016 presidential election.[20] Chu lost the election to Tsai Ing-wen, and resumed mayoral duties on 18 January 2016.[21]

Mayor of New Taipei (2018–)

Elections

2018

Hou resigned from the deputy mayorship on 28 February 2018, stating that he would contest the Kuomintang mayoral primary.[22] [23] On 6 April 2018, the KMT announced that Hou had won the primary.[24] [25]

2018 Kuomintang New Taipei City mayoral primary results[26]
width=80Candidateswidth=80Placewidth=80Results
Hou Yu-ih55.596%
Chou Hsi-wei2nd34.210%
Ching Chieh-shou3rd10.194%
Hou emerged as the winner of the 2018 New Taipei mayoral elections.
2018 New Taipei City mayoral results[27] [28]
width=35No.width=150Candidatewidth=120Partywidth=75Voteswidth=75Percentagewidth=49
1 Su Tseng-changDemocratic Progressive Party873,69242.85%
2 Hou Yu-ihKuomintang1,165,13057.15%
Total voters 3,264,128
Valid votes 2,038,822
Invalid votes 50,305
Voter turnout 62.46%

2022

On August 17, 2022, Hou confirmed that he would run for a second term as mayor of New Taipei.[29]

2022 New Taipei City mayoral results
width=35No.width=150Candidatewidth=120Partywidth=75Voteswidth=75Percentagewidth=49
1 Lin Chia-lungDemocratic Progressive Party693,97637.58%
2 Hou Yu-ihKuomintang1,152,55562.42%
Total voters 3,316,517
Valid votes 1,877,186
Invalid votes 30,655
Voter turnout 56.60%

2024 presidential election

Prior to the 2024 presidential election, Hou was considered the favorite for the Kuomintang presidential primary.[30] He was drafted by the Kuomintang on 17 May 2023 to be its nominee for the presidency.[31] [32]

On 15 November 2023, KMT and Taiwan People's Party leadership announced that they would field a single joint presidential ticket made up of Hou and TPP chairman Ko Wen-je. The order was to be determined by opinion polls and publicly announced on 18 November,[33] but the parties were unable to reach an agreement on that date.[34] Hou officially registered his candidacy with running mate Jaw Shaw-kong on 24 November 2023, ending the possibility of a joint ticket.[35] Hou conceded the presidential election to Lai Ching-te on 13 January 2024.[36] [37] Shortly after Hou lost the presidential election, netizens began efforts to recall him from the New Taipei mayoralty.[38]

Personal life

Hou was born on 7 June 1957, in Puzi, Chiayi County, where his family owned a pork stall. As a child Hou aided the family business by catching and butchering wild pigs.[39]

Hou's firstborn son Hou Ni-wei died on 15 May 1992, in a tour bus fire,[40] [41] [42] which killed 23 people.[43] He and his wife Jen Mei-ling raised three daughters, Hou Yu-fan, Hou Ni-chia, and Hou Yu-chia.[44] [45]

External links

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: 市長 侯友宜 . 19 June 2022 . New Taipei City Government . 8 October 2013 . zh . Taiwan.
  2. News: Paulo. Derrick. 10 November 2019. Inside the sensational 1997 hostage crisis that rocked Taiwan. Channel News Asia. 31 May 2021.
  3. News: Chuang. Jimmy. Super cop shines as new commissioner. 21 October 2015. Taipei Times. 23 June 2003.
  4. News: Young. H.T.. Where's debate on 319 probe heading?. 20 October 2015. China Post. 17 March 2006.
  5. News: Fang. William. Hou more loyal to friends than nation. 20 October 2015. The China Post. 23 December 2010.
  6. News: Hou Yu-ih becomes youngest-ever NPA director-general. 20 October 2015. Taipei Times. 28 February 2006.
  7. News: Chang. Rich. Shih. Hsiu-chuan. Ko. Shu-ling. Tainan police chief offers resignation over clashes. 20 October 2015. Taipei Times. 21 September 2006.
  8. News: Chang. Rich. Police under fire over scuffling. 20 October 2015. Taipei Times. 18 September 2006.
  9. News: Shih. Hsiu-chuan. Wang. Flora. KMT lawmakers want new probe into 319 shooting. 20 October 2015. Taipei Times. 6 December 2006.
  10. News: Premier approves changes. 21 October 2015. Taipei Times. 30 May 2008.
  11. News: Taipei police chief to head NPA. 20 October 2015. The China Post. 10 May 2008. 23 August 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130823221853/http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2008/05/10/155737/Taipei-police.htm. dead.
  12. News: 周 . 毓翔 . 新聞分析-成敗牽動國民黨轉型 . 27 May 2020 . China Times . 1 March 2018 . zh.
  13. News: 侯友宜回復國民黨籍 朱立倫:無政治考量 . 27 May 2020 . Newtalk . 25 December 2013 . zh.
  14. News: Chuang. Jimmy. NPA says officers free to join DPP. 30 September 2016. Taipei Times. 16 July 2002.
  15. News: Former police chief to be Chu's deputy. 1 January 2016. Taipei Times. 21 December 2010.
  16. News: Culpan. Tim. Former Google Executive Named Taiwan's First Technology Minister. 2 January 2016. Bloomberg Businessweek. 25 February 2014.
  17. News: P.C. . Tsai. Lillian. Lin. Ex-New Taipei deputy mayor prosecuted for taking bribes. Central News Agency. 26 November 2015.
  18. News: Pan. Jason. Hsu Chih-chien held in graft probe. 2 January 2016. Taipei Times. 31 July 2015.
  19. News: Hsiao. Alison. Ex-minister says he was victim of 'horrible system'. 27 May 2016. Taipei Times. 28 July 2014.
  20. News: Eric Chu takes leave from mayoral duties. Central News Agency. 19 October 2015. 20 October 2015. Justin and . Su. Low. Y.F..
  21. News: Chiao. Yuan-Ming. KMT chairmanship vacated as Chu bows out. 26 January 2016. China Post. 19 January 2016. 25 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201125093019/https://chinapost.nownews.com/20160119-23797. dead.
  22. News: Liu. Lee-jung. Huang. Sunrise. Yen. William. New Taipei deputy mayor resigns to run for city's KMT candidate. 28 February 2018. Central News Agency. 28 February 2018.
  23. News: New Taipei City deputy mayor to run for top job. 1 March 2018. Taipei Times. 1 March 2018.
  24. Web site: Former Taiwan police chief wins KMT primary for New Taipei City mayor. 6 April 2018. Matthew. Strong. Taiwan News. 6 April 2018.
  25. News: Hsu. Stacy. KMT wants Hou for New Taipei. 7 April 2018. Taipei Times. 7 April 2018.
  26. News: 國民黨新北初選民調曝光 55%:34%侯友宜大勝周錫瑋 . 19 June 2022 . Liberty Times Net . 6 April 2018 . Taiwan . zh.
  27. Web site: 2018 Local Elections . 2018-11-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181124220139/https://www.cec.gov.tw/pc/en/TC/nm65000000000000000.html . 2018-11-24 . dead .
  28. Web site: 2018 ー 107年直轄市長選舉 . Central Election Commission . 19 June 2022 . Taiwan . zh.
  29. News: Teng . Pei-ju . KMT mayors of New Taipei, Taichung to seek reelection . August 17, 2022 . Central News Agency . August 17, 2022.
  30. Reuters. (5 April 2023). "Foxconn founder Gou to run for Taiwan presidency again". Al Jazeera English website Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  31. News: 2023-05-17 . 侯侯選總統/宣布了!朱立倫徵召侯友宜參選2024 . United Daily News .
  32. News: Shih . Hsiu-chuan . ELECTION 2024/New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih named as KMT presidential nominee . 18 June 2023 . Central News Agency . 17 May 2023.
  33. Web site: ELECTION 2024/KMT, TPP to form joint presidential ticket based upon polling results . 2023-11-15 . Focus Taiwan . en.
  34. News: 18 November 2023 . ELECTION 2024/KMT, TPP back to stalemate on how to form joint presidential ticket . Focus Taiwan: CNA English News . 19 November 2023.
  35. News: 24 November 2023 . Election 2024/KMT's Hou and newly named running mate Jaw Shau-kong register candidacy . Focus Taiwan: CNA English News . 24 November 2023.
  36. News: Yeh . Joseph . ELECTION 2024/KMT's Hou concedes defeat in Taiwan presidential election . 13 January 2024 . Central News Agency . 13 January 2024.
  37. News: Kao . Hua-chien . Chen . Christie . ELECTION 2024/KMT's Hou calls for national unity post-election . 13 January 2024 . Central News Agency . 13 January 2024.
  38. News: Huang . Sunrise . Lee . Hsin-Yin . Campaign launched to recall New Taipei mayor after his failed presidential bid . 21 January 2024 . Central News Agency . 20 January 2024.
  39. News: Yeh . Joseph . FEATURE/From popular mayor to ho-hum candidate, KMT's Hou struggles to gain traction . 24 August 2023 . Central News Agency . 23 August 2023.
  40. News: 侯友宜喪子痛 . 27 May 2020 . Chinese Television System . 29 August 2015 . zh.
  41. News: 侯友宜悼亡兒 哽咽「一生至痛」 . 27 May 2020 . Apple Daily . subscription . 31 May 2018 . zh.
  42. News: 回顧:24年前幼稚園火燒車意外 她衝入火海... . 27 May 2020 . China Times . 20 July 2016 . zh.
  43. News: 健康幼稚園意外15年 倖存學生現身 . 27 May 2020 . TVBS . 15 May 2007 . zh.
  44. News: 侯家千金年收千萬!侯:她們很努力 . 27 May 2020 . SET News . Yahoo! News Taiwan . 21 November 2018.
  45. News: 蘇岱崙 . 侯友宜:深深痛過後,我學會放手 . 19 June 2022 . 親子天下雜誌 . 23 July 2016 . zh.