Taiwan's election campaign has formally begun, and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is tying controversial proposals by Kuomintang (KMT) legislator Weng Hsiao-ling to the party's 18 candidates for county and city chief posts across Taiwan, putting pressure on the KMT's campaign.

• The DPP has rolled out campaign material declaring that "supporting Chiang Wan-an is supporting Weng Hsiao-ling," calling on KMT candidates to share responsibility for the disputed budget cuts and freezes.
• The controversy stems from Weng's proposal to eliminate the Presidential Office's budget for purchasing Mid-Autumn Festival gift boxes from sheltered workshops, along with deep cuts to funding for the Ministry of Culture and the Public Television Service, and a freeze on Premier Cho Jung-tai's salary.
• The DPP's central message is that a legislator elected from the party list can act this forcefully only because the entire KMT is backing her up.
• Those named range from Chiang Wan-an in Taipei, Lee Ssu-chuan in New Taipei and Chang San-cheng in Taoyuan to Ko Chih-en in Kaohsiung and Chen Yu-chen in Kinmen, effectively turning the local races into a nationwide contest between the two parties.

Outlook: This offensive will set the main battleground for the November 28 local elections, and KMT candidates will have little choice but to say whether they intend to distance themselves from Weng Hsiao-ling.