TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Changhua City Mayor Chiu Chien-fu (邱建富) left the DPP on Tuesday and announced an independent run for Changhua County magistrate, turning the race into a three-way contest.
A founding DPP member, Chiu said the party had become increasingly driven by factional politics, per NOWNews. He previously questioned the fairness of the party’s magistrate primary after losing the nomination to DPP candidate Chen Su-yueh (陳素月).
Speaking Tuesday, Chiu said factional politics have limited internal debate and distanced the party from public concerns, per ETtoday. While leaving the DPP was difficult, he said it was the most responsible decision.
Chiu said politics should bring together people willing to serve their communities rather than create enemies.
Chen declined to comment further on Chiu’s departure, saying she would focus on winning public support, per Liberty Times. The DPP’s Changhua County branch urged Chiu to reconsider, warning that his decision could benefit the party’s opponents.
KMT candidate Wei Ping-cheng (魏平政) said he respected Chiu’s decision and would remain focused on developing policies that resonate with voters. KMT Changhua County branch Chair Hsiao Ching-tien (蕭景田) said Chiu’s cross-party appeal could prompt the party to reassess its campaign strategy, per Liberty Times.
Chiu renewed his criticism of the DPP’s Changhua magistrate primary, arguing that it functioned more like a direct nomination, per Newtalk. He pointed to the party’s Tainan mayoral primary, where lawmaker Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) won despite overwhelming establishment support for Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲).
Once regarded as a rising DPP figure after winning the Changhua City mayoralty in traditionally KMT-leaning territory, Chiu was repeatedly passed over for advancement within the party.
In the 2022 Changhua magistrate race, senior DPP figures persuaded Chiu to step aside and allow Legislator Huang Hsiu-fang (黃秀芳), a member of the Taiwan Normal Country Promotion Association (TNCPA), to run instead, per UP Media. Party leaders reportedly made promises to Chiu at the time.
After Huang lost the magistrate race, she sought a legislative seat in Changhua, again placing her in competition with Chiu. The TNCPA later allegedly persuaded Chiu to withdraw from another political contest in exchange for a state-owned enterprise appointment, but a scandal halted political appointments before it could occur.
Chiu broke with the TNCPA during the DPP’s 2025 Changhua magistrate primary and unsuccessfully sought the nomination himself. Sources familiar with the matter said senior party leaders largely avoided intervening in the dispute because President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) did not want to be seen as picking favorites.
Insiders familiar with Changhua politics questioned the party’s handling of the situation, arguing that the DPP had sufficient resources and political opportunities to make arrangements that could have satisfied Chiu. Chen is affiliated with Lai’s New Tide faction.
