Taiwan's two opposition parties have fallen out over who runs in Hsinchu County and Zhubei City, a mess that helps the ruling DPP heading into the year-end local elections.

• The KMT and the Taiwan People's Party failed to agree on a joint candidate for Hsinchu County magistrate and Zhubei mayor.
• KMT candidate Hsu Hsin-ying said the TPP never firmly promised to back her in the primary; TPP chairman Huang Kuo-chang accused her of lying outright.
• It has already turned legal — a criminal complaint was filed against Huang and eight others.
• KMT lawmaker Lin Ssu-ming warned his own side could win the Zhubei mayor's race but lose the county, saying Hsu has been out of touch with Zhubei for eight years.
• KMT caucus secretary-general Hsu Yu-chen played it down, insisting each county is different and the fight will not spread to other races.

Outlook: The two party chairmen are expected to try to patch things up, but with lawsuits flying the split may hold and hand the DPP an opening in Hsinchu.