The race for mayor of Hsinchu, Taiwan, has gained another contender, as former Kuomintang (KMT) spokesman Ho Chih-yung pressed ahead with his registration despite failing to secure the party's endorsement, a move that could expose him to disciplinary action.

• Ho registered as a candidate as a KMT member of twenty years' standing, but without a party endorsement letter in hand.
• He has thrown down the gauntlet to incumbent independent Mayor Ann Kao and Democratic Progressive Party candidate Chuang Ching-cheng, calling for an open debate on city governance.
• The KMT's Hsinchu City branch said it would convene a disciplinary committee meeting as soon as possible, effectively signalling that it intends to deal with a member who has "run in breach of party discipline."
• The pan-blue vote could now be split in two, which is bad news for Kao's bid for re-election.

Outlook: The outcome of the disciplinary meeting will determine whether Ho is expelled from the party, and will also shape how the pan-blue vote in Hsinchu is divided.