Taiwan's opposition parties have fallen out over the Zhubei mayoral race, a setback for both the KMT and the TPP as they head into local elections.

• The Taiwan People's Party and the KMT failed to agree on a joint candidate for Zhubei mayor, breaking their cooperation across Hsinchu County races.
• A media figure has filed criminal complaints against senior TPP figures including Ko Wen-je and Huang Kuo-chang, accusing them of spreading false rumours about the deal.
• The TPP insists it did not lie, saying the talks rested on mutual trust, and that lawsuits will not fix the situation.
• The party wants the fight contained in Hsinchu County and says it has no plans to team up with the ruling DPP instead.
• The TPP is focused on winning Zhubei and local council seats, aiming for 25 seats nationwide and party caucuses in major cities.

Outlook: The dispute now moves into the courts, with both opposition parties likely to run separately in Hsinchu County unless a deal is patched up before the vote.