A three-way race is now set in Taiwan's Changhua county chief election, and it is bad news for the ruling DPP, which risks splitting its vote.

• Former Changhua city mayor Chiu Chien-fu collected his candidacy papers on the first day of registration, vowing to stay in the race.
• He quit the DPP in June and is running as an independent, breaking with the party's official candidate.
• He said senior Presidential Office figures, including a national policy adviser, called him as recently as the day before, asking him to reconsider and drop out for the good of the party.
• He refused, arguing voters deserve a choice and pitching himself as the candidate with the most administrative experience.
• The race now pits the DPP's Chen Su-yueh against the KMT's Wei Ping-cheng and Chiu.

Outlook: Chiu plans to formally register on Sept. 3 and open his campaign headquarters on Sept. 13, locking in a split opposition to the KMT unless late pressure changes his mind.