Taiwan's two main opposition parties have failed to agree on a joint candidate for Zhubei mayor, a setback for their plan to team up against the ruling DPP in this year's local elections.

• The Taiwan People's Party says the KMT broke a deal in which the TPP would pick the Zhubei mayoral candidate while both backed the KMT's Hsu Hsin-ying for Hsinchu County chief.
• TPP leader Huang Kuo-chang announced the breakdown alongside his party's candidate Chiu Chen-yuan, saying his party will now go its own way.
• Hsu's office denies wavering, insisting she kept her word and has a clear conscience.
• Her camp is pushing to patch things up, arguing the two parties are not enemies and their real opponent is the DPP.
• The stakes go beyond one city — holding the line in 2026 is seen as the path to winning in 2028.

Outlook: Both sides still say they want to cooperate, so expect more talks even as the TPP prepares to run its own candidate in Zhubei.