TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) accused the KMT on Friday of breaking its promise to allow TPP Zhubei mayoral candidate Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) to run as the opposition's joint candidate.
Huang said at a press conference the two parties had previously agreed to allow KMT legislator Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩) to run as the opposition's candidate for Hsinchu County magistrate and Chiu to compete in the Zhubei mayoral race on the joint ticket, per Liberty Times. However, Huang said KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) told him Wednesday that she could not resolve the KMT's internal divisions over its Zhubei mayoral candidate.
Huang acknowledged that he had failed to secure a written agreement on the two parties' Zhubei arrangement, noting that Hsu had been present throughout the related discussions. He stressed that the TPP would honor its commitments to other candidates and continue working with opposition parties, per Storm Media.
Chiu warned in an interview Thursday that the failure to cooperate in Zhubei, a major population center in Hsinchu County, could negatively affect the county magistrate election, per Liberty Times. He added that the dispute could also damage cooperation between the two parties ahead of the 2028 elections.
KMT Zhubei mayoral candidate Wu Hsu-chih (吳旭智) said Friday that his party had never asked him to withdraw from the race, per NOWNews. Although cooperation with the TPP remains a basis for how the two parties interact going forward, Wu said the immediate focus of local politics remains on retaining KMT-held positions.
Hsu's campaign said her support for a joint opposition candidate had not changed, per Tai Sounds. Her campaign called on the two parties to work together to prevent the DPP from gaining control of the county government.
Cheng also responded, saying the unique nature of Zhubei's local political landscape had led the KMT and TPP to reach different assessments of potential mayoral candidates, per Z.Media. She said her commitment to cooperation with the TPP remained unchanged and expressed gratitude for the TPP's understanding of the situation in Zhubei.
TPP Department of Policy and Strategy Executive Director Wu Huang-sheng (吳皇昇) expressed confidence that the party could continue working with the KMT in Taichung, per UDN. He said Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), who is overseeing the local political effort, is different from Cheng, while Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), the KMT's mayoral candidate, is different from Hsu.
The Zhubei mayoral race is likely to become a three-way contest between DPP candidate Tseng Shen-kai (曾聖凱), Wu Hsu-chih and Chiu, per UDN. Former TPP legislator Lee Chen-hsiu (李貞秀) has also announced her candidacy, although she may face eligibility issues.
