TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) said it plans to increase its presence in the south, in an apparent attempt to shake off its reputation as a party of northern urbanites.

TPP Secretary-General Chou Yu-hsiu (周榆修) told reporters on Saturday (July 6) that the party had been labeled as such in the past, and it would begin to move some of its large-scale events to southern areas to work on building support there. Chou said research conducted by the party found that holding events in the south would help with the party’s expansion, per CNA.

The first of the large-scale events will be the TPP party congress in Kaohsiung on Aug. 3 and will include a speech from party Chair Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and the presentation of the party’s annual report. The event will coincide with the TPP’s fifth anniversary celebrations, Chou said.

Hosting the event in Kaohsiung makes good on a promise Ko made in August 2023, when he said the party would “cross the Jhuoshuei River (濁水溪),” which separates Changhua and Yunlin Counties.

TPP presidential candidate Ko received the least votes in Kaohsiung of all of Taiwan’s major cities during the January 2024 presidential election. The party’s vote was also generally lower in the south in the legislative elections held at the same time.

Ko received 26% of the vote overall, and eight candidates from his party won seats in the legislature.