Talks between the Taiwan People's Party and the Kuomintang on coordinating their candidacies in Zhubei City, Hsinchu County, have reportedly broken down — bad news for opposition cooperation ahead of the year-end local elections.

• Chiu Chen-yuan, drafted by the TPP, will register as a candidate for Zhubei mayor next week as originally scheduled, with the party leadership voicing its full support.
• Former TPP legislator Li Chen-hsiu made a surprise announcement of her own candidacy, adding another variable to the Zhubei race.
• TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang said the details of the negotiations with the KMT are lengthy, and that he will hold a separate press conference tomorrow to explain them.
• There is further friction between the two parties: Huang Kuo-chang criticised Central Election Commission Chairman Yu Ying-lung for making disparaging remarks about the TPP, and the party caucus is extremely displeased, with the result that amendments to the Referendum Act have been put on hold.

Outlook: Tomorrow's press conference will determine whether the KMT and TPP run separately in Zhubei or whether room for coordination remains, and it will have knock-on effects on cooperation talks in other counties and cities.