TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) said Wednesday (Oct. 25) he has repeatedly made concessions to Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chair Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who in return compared a KMT proposal to consuming half a can of arsenic.

Since delegations from the two camps met on Oct. 14, the KMT has been calling for a day of open primary voting in early November, while Ko has stood by his earlier proposal of phone polls following televised debates. The two sides are attempting to find an agreed candidate to challenge Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the Jan. 13, 2024 elections.

After Hou suggested they could use a combination of primaries and polls, Ko drew the comparison with arsenic, saying that whether you consumed a full can of half a can of arsenic, the outcome would be the same, and you would still die. Hou’s office responded to the comparison by saying the United States, France and South Korea used the system to elect their presidential candidates.

Posting on Facebook Wednesday, Hou said that if Ko wanted Taiwan to win in the election, he should stop thinking only of himself, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported. Hou said the KMT side had already given in three times to demands from the TPP candidate, but Ko had never offered any concessions of his own.

Hou closed by asking whether Ko agreed they should feature on the same ticket for the presidential election. Polls showed that 60% of voters wanted the DPP to lose the elections, the KMT candidate said, adding that public opinion was waiting for Ko’s reply to his question.