TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) on Wednesday endorsed DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) in the party’s Tainan mayoral primary.

Chen Shui-bian said Chen Ting-fei is the DPP’s strongest contender against the presumed KMT candidate, Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介), per Liberty Times. He added that he looks forward to seeing her become Tainan’s first female mayor and retain President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) political stronghold for his re-election in 2028.

Lai’s trust has become a focal point of the primary. Chen Ting-fei’s opponent, Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲), has highlighted his past work on Lai’s legislative and mayoral campaigns, per ETtoday. Lin also sharply criticized Chen for allegedly allowing DPP city councilors to vote for former KMT Legislator Lee Chuan-chiao (李全教) during a past Tainan City Council dispute.

Lin further claimed he is the candidate most supported by core DPP voters, implying that Chen Ting-fei’s lead in public polling is bolstered by support from KMT and TPP voters who would not back the DPP in a general election. He also accused her of refusing to include a questioning segment in the upcoming policy presentation, saying she planned to reuse policy proposals from her previous Tainan mayoral bid.

NOWnews reported that the policy presentation will include a questioning segment despite Chen’s earlier objections.

Responding to Lin’s accusations, Chen distanced herself from the Lee Chuan-chiao dispute, saying that what happens in the city council has little to do with her work in the Legislative Yuan, per Knews. She also criticized Lin for bringing up Lai, arguing that his repeated invocations place an unnecessary burden on the president.

Regarding the questioning session, Chen said she is not opposed to answering questions but is concerned that the time allotted for questioning could reduce the time she needs to present her platform for the mayoral race.