TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Internal divisions have emerged within the KMT over whether to support former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) as part of efforts to build an opposition coalition.
KMT Taipei City Councilor Chin Hui-chu (秦慧珠) on Tuesday urged the party to reconsider backing Ko, arguing that cooperation with the TPP should not be tied to his legal troubles, per Tai Sounds. Ko was sentenced to 17 years in prison on charges of bribery related to the Core Pacific project and embezzlement involving political donations from his 2024 presidential campaign.
Speaking on an online program, Chin said she had reservations about the bribery conviction but believed prosecutors had strong evidence in other cases, including embezzlement and misuse of public funds.
Chin said the KMT’s sympathy toward Ko stemmed in part from media coverage and repeated leaks during the investigation, per UP Media. However, she urged party members to examine the court’s ruling carefully, adding that no KMT Taipei city councilor had publicly vouched for Ko’s innocence.
Chin proposed that the party set Ko aside in its cooperation with the TPP.
KMT Taipei City Councilor Chung Hsiao-ping (鍾小平), who previously reported Ko’s alleged bribery to authorities, has led calls within the party to distance itself from Ko, per NOWNews. He said that while an opposition coalition remains a broader political trend, it should not hinge on support for an individual facing corruption charges.
Chung added that although it is reasonable for the KMT to reciprocate TPP support during recall campaigns against KMT lawmakers, the party must be mindful of public perceptions of endorsing corruption, per FTNN. He also noted that the absence of KMT Taipei city councilors at a recent pro-Ko rally reflected the party’s strategy to secure a majority in the city council independently.
TPP Taipei City Council candidate Wu Yi-hsuan (吳怡萱) criticized Chung, accusing him of acting as a political proxy for the DPP, per Storm Media. She noted that Chung renewed his criticism of Ko after Ko agreed to drop a defamation lawsuit against him.
Following Ko’s detention in the Core Pacific case, Chung had alleged that Ko accepted NT$300 million (US$9.38 million) in bribes and sent inappropriate messages to a female journalist, per Storm Media. Chung later acknowledged he lacked evidence for those claims, adding that Ko withdrew the lawsuit to preserve opposition unity.
TPP Secretary-General Chou Yu-hsiu (周榆修) also weighed in, urging the KMT to “think clearly” about how Chung’s actions could affect cooperation between the two parties, per SETN.
