TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate Lai Ching-te (賴清德) commented Friday (Nov.24) on the opposition’s failure to unite under a single banner.
About the last-minute press conference held by opposition candidates Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) and Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) before the deadline to register with the Central Election Commission, Lai said the final episode of the “blue and white” alliance made it clear to Taiwanese that the KMT and TPP are not able to work for the interests of the country, but are primarily interested in pursuing power for their respective political parties, reported UDN.
“While (the opposition) is focused on cooperation to share the spoils of power, we are more focused on achieving cooperation among all citizens,” said Lai.
On Nov. 23, the Kuomintang and Taiwan People’s Party held a public press conference, arranged by Terry Gou (郭台銘), in a last-ditch effort to secure a political alliance. The event, which ended in acrimony and failure, has been described by pundits and members of the public as an unprofessional spectacle.
After Thursday’s press conference, independent candidate Terry Gou announced his departure from the presidential race without directly endorsing either of the two main opposition candidates. On Friday, both Hou and Ko registered with their respective vice-presidential candidates at the Taiwan Central Election Commission.
Commenting on the state of the race, Lai said, “Our campaign model has not changed. The disagreements between the blue and white camps will not impact our campaign.”
According to Lai, the DPP recognizes the serious international challenges that Taiwan faces and will work to achieve the greatest amount of public support. “We have confidence in the people of Taiwan, we have confidence in ourselves, and we will continue to work hard to win this election,” said Lai.
