With the Taipei mayoral race entering its round of courtesy calls, DPP candidate Puma Shen has decided to seek advice on city governance from the blue and white former mayors he has criticised in the past — good news for Taipei voters hoping for less partisan infighting.

• Shen has confirmed he will travel south within the next month to visit former president Chen Shui-bian, with Ma Ying-jeou, Hau Lung-bin, Ko Wen-je, Huang Ta-chou and Jaw Shaw-kong also on his list.
• Responding to questions about "criticising someone and then asking for their advice", he said that criticising a person does not mean throwing out everything they got right.
• He named Ko Wen-je's traffic data, food safety tracking and social housing as areas he wants to ask about, with the focus on what got stuck back then.
• He also draws a distinction between his criticism of Ma Ying-jeou on national identity and sound policies such as the pay-as-you-throw rubbish bag fee, while YouBike is a Hau Lung-bin legacy he wants to build on and reform.
• The TPP said it has not received any approach yet but welcomes the idea; Ko Wen-je himself has not ruled out a meeting.

Outlook: Whether the visits actually come together is the thing to watch next, and the posture of seeking advice across the blue, green and white camps could also stir grumbling within the DPP.