TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) reportedly criticized DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) during a party conference on Wednesday.

Lai took issue with Chen for portraying herself as a victim in the nomination race, calling such framing unfair to the party as a whole, per UDN. The comments appeared to be a direct response to Chen’s earlier statement, citing her over 10-point lead in numerous polls, in which she said the DPP should bear responsibility if she were to lose the primary, per Newtalk.

Lai also reportedly confronted Chen over a Facebook post in which she urged the central government not to install solar panels in reservoirs and to avoid using chemicals during panel cleaning, per Tai Sounds. After being pressed by Lai for clarification, Chen acknowledged that the use of chemicals was misinformation but emphasized the importance of allowing local governments to have a say in such policies.

Lai responded by stressing that as a member of the ruling party, Chen has a responsibility to clarify misinformation rather than spread it. The Ministry of Economic Affairs denied on Wednesday the use of chemicals in cleaning solar panels at Wushantou Reservoir, echoing a similar statement released by industry representatives a day earlier.

Tainan remains a key DPP stronghold and a personal political base for Lai, who served as the city’s mayor before moving to national office. With Kuomintang chair candidate Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) aiming to challenge the DPP’s dominance in southern Taiwan, the party views Tainan as a must-win municipality.

DPP Legislator Lai Hui-yuan (賴惠員), an ally of Chen’s rival, Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲), emphasized that Lin has been preparing for the mayoral primary for over a year, while Chen has been involved in the process since her 2018 bid against Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) for the party’s nomination, per SETN.

Lai Hui-yuan noted that although Chen initially enjoyed a huge lead over Lin, owing to her broad support across party lines, Lin has steadily gained ground through his work on major Tainan policy issues.

Political commentator Huang Wei-han (黃暐瀚) offered a different perspective, suggesting that with only three months remaining until the primary, Lin’s chances of overtaking Chen are slim barring any major developments, per Storm Media. He warned, however, that if Chen cannot consolidate Lin’s supporters after securing the nomination, the resulting division could benefit potential KMT candidate Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介), making the race competitive.

Huang also emphasized that the 2026 local elections carry significant weight for the DPP, with potential implications for the 2028 general election. He suggested that if the DPP loses control of any of the five municipalities it currently governs, Lai may be pressured to step down as party chair.