Yao Chia-wen

Yao Chia-wen
姚嘉文
Official portrait, 2016
Senior Advisor to the President
Assumed office
9 November 2016
PresidentTsai Ing-wen
In office
20 May 2000  31 August 2002
PresidentChen Shui-bian
14th President of the Examination Yuan
In office
21 June 2002  1 September 2008
Appointed byChen Shui-bian
Vice PresidentWu Rong-ming
Preceded byHsu Shui-teh
Succeeded byWu Jin-lin (acting)
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office
February 1, 1993  January 31, 1996
ConstituencyChanghua County
2nd Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party
In office
20 December 1987  30 October 1988
Secretary GeneralHuang Erh-hsuan
Preceded byChiang Peng-chien
Succeeded byHuang Hsin-chieh
Personal details
Born (1938-06-15) June 15, 1938
Wabi Town, Shōka District, Taichū Prefecture, Japanese Taiwan (modern-day Hemei, Changhua, Taiwan)
NationalityEmpire of Japan (1938–1945)
Taiwan (since 1945)
Political partyDemocratic Progressive Party
SpouseChou Ching-yu
EducationNational Taiwan University (LLB, LLM)
University of California, Berkeley (MSL)
ProfessionLawyer

Yao Chia-wen (Chinese: 姚嘉文; pinyin: Yáo Jiāwén; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Iâu Ka-bûn; born 15 June 1938) is a Taiwanese politician and lawyer who is an important figure in Taiwan's democratization movement. He was the second chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), serving from 1987 to 1988. He was a member of the Legislative Yuan from 1993 to 1996, and president of the Examination Yuan between 2002 and 2008.

Yao was also a practicing lawyer. In 1979, he was imprisoned due to his involvement in the Formosa Incident and authored his representative work Taiwan Story of Seven Colors (臺灣七色記) while incarcerated. After his release, Yao held various positions, including chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), DPP Central Committee member, publisher of the Formosa Magazine (美麗島), and legislator.