The race for Changhua County magistrate has begun early, with four-term independent councillor Chen Chung-chia becoming the first candidate to complete registration — bad news for all three parties: the KMT, the DPP and the TPP.

• Chen paid the NT$160,000 deposit and registered as an independent, criticising the three parties' nominations as serving only their own interests while ignoring Changhua's future.
• He admits his chances of winning are slim, asking only that voters support him enough to recoup his deposit, and saying he would rather people cast spoiled ballots than not vote at all.
• Turmoil struck the KMT first: while County Magistrate Wang Huei-mei was abroad, party headquarters parachuted in lawyer Wei Ping-cheng, prompting a local backlash; Wang has repeatedly been absent from campaign events.
• The DPP camp is also split, with former Changhua City mayor Chiu Chien-fu quitting the party to run after losing the nomination battle, and saying a senior Presidential Office figure phoned to urge him to think again.
• KMT-TPP cooperation formally collapsed in Zhubei, and the TPP's Changhua branch has hinted it may field its own candidate, adding another layer of uncertainty.

Outlook: With less than three months to go before the local elections, Changhua is set for a multi-way scramble, and the splits within the two major parties may prove more damaging than their opponents.