TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A legislative candidate for New Taipei’s Banqiao finished de-facing his own billboard on Tuesday (Nov. 28), as an artist completed painting over Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) with a portrait of Kuomintang (KMT) vice presidential candidate Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康).

For months the media, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), and the KMT discussed the possibility of both parties forming a joint presidential ticket before negotiations finally failed on Nov. 23. On Nov. 24, the KMT announced a new vice presidential candidate, and with that, KMT legislative candidate Yeh Yuan-chih’s (葉元之) gamble on a campaign billboard featuring the KMT’s Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) and TPP's Ko as running mates failed to pay off.

Rather than a new billboard, Yeh commissioned a movie poster artist to paint over Ko with an image of Jaw. On Sunday (Nov. 26), Yeh first posted on Facebook that he was “sorting out the billboard.”

Yeh said he decided to paint over the existing billboard to quickly calm angry supporters, who demanded the change, CNA reported. Later, Yeh posted on Facebook again and said that completing the painting was delayed due to rain, and the image was left in a state of half-completion until Tuesday.

Yeh live-streamed the painting’s completion, commenting on the likeness between the painting and Jaw.

Ko has not dropped out of the race and is running for president as head of his own party. His running mate is Cynthia Wu (吳欣盈).

The billboard before it was painted over. (CNA photo)

The finished billboard is pictured on Tuesday. (CNA photo)

Jaw Shaw-kong. (CNA photo)