Several Green-camp heavyweights in Taitung who were divided in the past have now lined up on the same side, a boost for the Democratic Progressive Party's prospects in Taitung and a source of pressure on its Kuomintang rival.

• Chen Ying went to the Taitung County Election Commission on Monday morning to complete her registration as a candidate for county magistrate, formally beginning the final countdown of the campaign.
• Former legislators Lai Kun-cheng and Liu Chao-hao, previously seen as political rivals within the Green camp, appeared together to back her, with Liu also taking on the role of campaign general manager.
• Both said they were setting aside old grievances and stressed looking ahead, creating an atmosphere of Green-camp unity.
• Chen Ying directed her criticism at her Kuomintang opponent Wu Hsiu-hua, calling on her to clearly address concerns that local resources have long been concentrated in particular hands, rather than resorting to tears in front of the cameras.
• The mayor of Taitung City, the township chiefs of Beinan and Jinfeng, and several candidates for county councillor accompanied her throughout, a show of grassroots mobilisation.

Outlook: Over the coming weeks Chen Ying will campaign intensively in tribal villages and communities to get out the vote, while the clash between the Blue and Green camps is likely to centre on the allocation of local resources and judicial controversies.