TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) presidential campaign opened its campaign headquarters on Saturday (Nov. 4) in New Taipei’s Banqiao District with a large rally at the First Sports Stadium.

Speaking at the event to an estimated 50,000 attendees, Lai cautioned voters on the idea of a coalition government of the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), which many in the opposition are hopeful of achieving. Lai said that such an attempt to share power would only lead to political instability and economic troubles, reported CNA.

He pointed to the unpredictable nature of coalition governments in Europe, and their tendency to stall government work and stunt economic growth. Smaller parties are the usual beneficiaries of coalition governments since they can wield greater influence over larger parties.

In contrast, Lai touted the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) record of growth and discipline. Since its creation in 1986, the party has focused on steadily building support among citizens and has never needed to rely on a coalition with other parties to govern, he said.

Lai was also joined by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who criticized the idea of political parties sharing power in the Executive Yuan and Legislative Yuan publicly for the first time. She cautioned that a “blue-white” coalition government would inevitably be plagued by the competing interests of both parties.

Lai said he is confident that he can maintain stability through responsible governance if he is elected president. He urged voters to continue to support the DPP as a ruling party with “a genuine love of Taiwan.”

Large crowds gathered in Banqiao to show their support for Lai Ching-te and DPP on Nov. 5. (CNA photo)

Large crowds gathered in Banqiao to show their support for Lai and DPP on Nov. 5. (CNA photo)