Taiwan's two opposition parties have failed to agree on a joint candidate for the Zhubei mayor race, a bad sign for both as they head toward the 2028 presidential election.

• The TPP's Chiu Chen-yuan will register and run to the end after the KMT put up its own candidate.
• He blames KMT chair Cheng Li-wun for breaking a promise: the TPP would back the KMT in the Hsinchu County race, and the KMT would leave Zhubei to the TPP.
• TPP chair Huang Kuo-chang will lay out the private negotiations at a press conference Friday morning.
• The worry is spillover anger that damages KMT candidates in other close races, echoing how one scandal sank several campaigns in 2022.
• Zhubei was meant to be the showcase for opposition cooperation; its failure could poison any 2028 joint ticket.

Outlook: Expect a three-way fight in Zhubei and public finger-pointing between the two parties once the negotiation details come out.