Taiwan's Supreme Court has ended a 13-year corruption case against Hualien County Council Speaker Chang Chun, clearing the way for him to run for county magistrate this year.

• Chang was accused of taking kickbacks on LED lighting bought with council grant money while he was deputy speaker.
• A lower court had sentenced him to nearly eight years, but the appeals court acquitted him last year and the Supreme Court has now thrown out the prosecution's final appeal.
• Chang said the courts have restored his good name and that he will now put everything into the year-end race for Hualien magistrate.
• He is targeting the 17-year grip of the Fu Kun-chi and Hsu Chen-wei couple on the county, pointing to weak industry, poor transport, and young people leaving.
• Several other councilors caught in the same lighting scandal were convicted and did not win acquittal.

Outlook: With the legal cloud gone, Chang becomes a serious independent challenger in Hualien's magistrate election at the end of the year.