Zhubei mayoral race: all three main candidates to register September 3
Taiwan's tech-hub city of Zhubei is heading into a three-way mayoral fight, a setback for the opposition parties that hoped to team up against the ruling DPP.
- The TPP's Chiu Chen-yuan, the KMT's Wu Hsu-chih, and the DPP's Tseng Sheng-kai all plan to register their candidacies on September 3.
- Talks between the KMT and TPP on backing a single candidate have broken down, and TPP founder Ko Wen-je is urging the two party leaders to settle it fast.
- Ko says the KMT chair, Cheng Li-wun, should personally handle the negotiation since the parties agreed to work through formal channels.
- Wu says he won the KMT's official nomination through the proper process and will not drop out, but leaves the door open to a deal that is fair and transparent.
- Tseng is running as the hand-picked successor to the current mayor, promising to continue his agenda.
Outlook: Registration closes with three names on the ballot unless the KMT and TPP strike a deal at the last minute, splitting the opposition vote in a city both parties see as winnable.