Cooperation between the Taiwan People's Party and the Kuomintang in Hsinchu County has broken down, with the TPP ordering its members not to campaign for KMT county magistrate candidate Hsu Hsin-ying. The move is bad news for the KMT ahead of year-end elections and an opportunity for the Democratic Progressive Party.

• The TPP has invoked party discipline, with expulsion the most severe penalty for members who campaign for Hsu.
• The trigger was the contest for Zhubei mayor, where the TPP backs its own candidate, Chiu Chen-yuan, and the two parties failed to reach an accommodation.
• Chang Chen-jung, KMT speaker of the Hsinchu County Council, said the impact would be limited, arguing that the aura Ko Wen-je enjoyed when he took nearly 40 percent of the vote in Zhubei has since faded.
• The KMT denies ever promising to stand aside in Zhubei, saying the campaign guidelines its county branch issued to members were a routine reminder based on the party charter.
• DPP candidate Cheng Chao-fang seized on the split with the slogan "only achievements can transcend parties," campaigning on policy platforms and a record of results.

Outlook: The rift between the KMT and the TPP at the local level will be hard to repair in the short term, and Hsinchu County could see a three-way contest — an advantage for the DPP.