Liu Sung-pan (Chinese: 劉松藩; pinyin: Liú Sōngfán; Wade–Giles: Liú Sūng-fán; 3 December 1931 — 18 November 2016) was a Taiwanese politician. He served as the President of the Legislative Yuan from 1992 to 1999. He was the Legislative Yuan's first Taiwan-born speaker and presided over a legislature entirely elected by residents of the Taiwan Area (after the retirement of the elderly mainland representatives in December 1991).

Liu Sung-pan
劉松藩
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office
1 February 2002 – 8 September 2004
Succeeded byAlfred Chen
ConstituencyRepublic of China (People First Party list)
In office
1 February 1999 – 31 January 2002
ConstituencyTaichung County
In office
1 February 1996 – 31 January 1999
ConstituencyRepublic of China (Kuomintang party list)
In office
1 February 1993 – 31 January 1996
ConstituencyTaichung County
In office
1 February 1990 – 31 January 1993
ConstituencyTaiwan 6th (Taichung County)
In office
1 February 1973 – 31 January 1990
ConstituencyTaiwan 3rd (Taichung City, Taichung County, Changhua County, Nantou County)
Vice President of the Legislative Yuan
In office
2 December 1990 – 31 December 1991
Preceded byLiang Su-yung
Succeeded byShen Shih-hsiung
President of the Legislative Yuan
In office
17 January 1992 – 1 February 1999
Preceded byLiang Su-yung
Succeeded byWang Jin-pyng
Personal details
Born(1931-12-03)3 December 1931
Taikō, Taikō, Taichū Prefecture, Taiwan, Empire of Japan
Died18 November 2016(2016-11-18) (aged 84)
Los Angeles, California, United States
NationalityTaiwanese
Political partyIndependent (since 2004)
Other political
affiliations
Kuomintang (until 1999)
People First Party (2000–04)
OccupationPolitician

Career

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Liu founded a committee seeking Taiwan–United States relations in 1987. The group counted members of the US Congress and Legislative Yuan among its number.[1][2] He was elected to the speakership of the Legislative Yuan in January 1992. Upon his confirmation, Liu became the first native Taiwanese to lead the legislature.[3] He was also the first to head a parliament entirely elected by residents of the Taiwan Area, as the elderly mainland representatives retired en masse at the end of 1991.[4] In 1998, during his tenure as legislative speaker, Liu used his status as the former chairman of Taichung Commercial Bank to broker a NT$1.5 billion loan to the Kuangsan Group, and in return he received a bribe of NT$150 million.[5] During the subsequent investigation, Liu's house was raided.[6][7]

He left the Kuomintang in 1999, after having served two full elected terms as President of the Yuan. Liu then allied himself with James Soong's independent 2000 presidential campaign.[8][9] After Soong's loss, Liu was named the leader of the New Taiwanese Service Team, an exploratory committee that preceded the formation of the People First Party.[10] After the end of Liu's speakership, he continued to lead Taiwan in negotiations with China and advocated for the nation to obtain membership in the World Health Organization.[11][12][13] Liu also backed the democratization of Myanmar and promoted United States–Taiwan relations.[14][15]

Trial and temporary disappearance

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The Taichung District Court convicted Liu for his role in the Kuangsan Group scandal in July 2003, sentencing him to five years imprisonment and NT$30 million fine.[16][17] His final appeal was heard by the Taiwan High Court in September 2004. The THC handed Liu a four-year prison sentence and a NT$30 million fine. After the High Court's verdict was announced, Liu resigned his legislative seat.[18] At the time, Liu was at the Republican National Convention in the United States. While there, he suffered a heart attack and was not medically cleared to fly to Taiwan.[19] Though Liu had relinquished his PFP membership a day after his resignation from the Legislative Yuan,[20] the party offered to help him find medical treatment if he would serve his sentence in Taiwan.[21] Liu never acknowledged the proposal, and was subsequently listed as a fugitive in February 2007.[22] In the early 2010s, Liu was reported to have fled to China.[23][24][25] Later, he returned to the United States, and died in Los Angeles on 18 November 2016, aged 84.[26][27][28]

References

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  1. ^ "Lawmakers Make Friends". Taiwan Today. 14 December 1987. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  2. ^ "U.S., ROC Lawmakers In Friendship Club". Taiwan Today. 9 May 1988. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Liu Sung-pan wins speaker's post". Taiwan Today. 21 January 1992. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016. Alt URL
  4. ^ "Hats In Ring For Yuan Posts". Taiwan Info. 12 February 1990. Archived from the original on 23 February 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  5. ^ "Ex-speaker indicted for fraud". Taipei Times. 17 May 2001. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  6. ^ Lin, Irene (24 February 2000). "Calls for impartial justice are mounting over Liu raid". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Court hears evidence in Kuangsan case". Taipei Times. 2 March 2000. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  8. ^ "KMT lining up Soong's backers for punishment". Taipei Times. 29 January 2001. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  9. ^ Jou, Ying-cheng (25 February 2000). "Another member of the KMT leaves the party behind". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  10. ^ Chen, Lauren (20 March 2000). "Soong sets his sights on formation of new party". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  11. ^ "China official says Strait to remain calm for now". Taipei Times. 2 September 2000. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  12. ^ "Legislators visit Beijing". Taipei Times. 23 June 2003. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  13. ^ Chu, Monique (11 February 2003). "Lawmakers take quest for WHO support to Europe". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  14. ^ Lowe, Stephanie (21 September 2000). "Lawmakers aid Myanmar". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  15. ^ "'Amity' delegation departs for US to promote relations". Taipei Times. 8 April 2002. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  16. ^ "PFP lawmaker jailed five years, fined NT$30 mil". China Post. 11 July 2003.
  17. ^ "Former speaker convicted". Taipei Times. 12 July 2003. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  18. ^ Yu, Cody (8 September 2004). "Corrupt PFP veteran sentenced to jail". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  19. ^ Chang, Rich (18 July 2005). "Prosecutors in Taichung order arrest of ex-speaker". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  20. ^ Wu, Debby (9 September 2004). "Liu Sung-fan withdraws PFP membership". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  21. ^ "PFP to help fugitive ex-speaker if he returns to Taiwan". Taipei Times. 30 September 2005. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  22. ^ "Prosecutors belatedly put convicted politician on wanted list". The China Post. 1 March 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
  23. ^ Chang, Rich (3 November 2012). "Ministry struggling to get fugitive tycoon repatriated". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  24. ^ Su, Yung-yao; Hsu, Stacy (13 August 2012). "Most Taiwanese imprisoned in China not sent back". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  25. ^ Chang, Rich (8 February 2011). "FEATURE: Cross-strait crime-fighting pact paying off: prosecutor". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  26. ^ Hau, Hsueh-ching; Kuo, Chung-han (7 December 2016). "Ex-Legislative Speaker Liu Sung-fan dies at 84". China Post. Central News Agency. Archived from the original on 8 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016. Alt URL
  27. ^ Pan, Jason (8 December 2016). "Fugitive former official dies in US". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  28. ^ Strong, Matthew (7 December 2016). "Ex-legislative speaker dies in Los Angeles". Taiwan News. Retrieved 8 December 2016.