Taiwan People's Party prioritizes KMT cooperation, skips Changhua County race

The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) announced on June 3 that it will not nominate a candidate for the upcoming Changhua County magistrate election, a decision made to prioritize existing cooperation frameworks with the Kuomintang (KMT). This move effectively removes former legislator Tsai Pi-ru from contention for the Changhua post.

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After listening to the recommendations of the Changhua County Party Department and after careful evaluation, it was decided not to nominate a candidate for the Changhua County magistrate election.

The TPP's Election Decision Committee stated that after hearing recommendations from the Changhua County party chapter and conducting a thorough evaluation, they concluded that nominating a candidate for the Changhua magistrate race would be detrimental. The committee cited concerns that such a campaign would consume significant resources, potentially hinder the development of local party organizations, and limit the growth of local councilors and grassroots organizations. Instead, the party will focus its efforts on supporting already nominated councilor candidates and expanding its local service network.

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Political figures' promises to voters should not be easily changed due to electoral considerations. Cherishing voters' trust and fulfilling promises to fellow villagers is the political value that the TPP has always adhered to.

Furthermore, the TPP emphasized its commitment to promises made to voters. Tsai Pi-ru had previously expressed a strong desire to continue her work in the Taichung coastal region after the 2024 legislative elections, vowing to "do what I say." The party views upholding such commitments as a core political value, suggesting that electoral considerations should not lead to the easy abandonment of promises to constituents.

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Considering the local party department's assessment of local organizational development and objective data, rashly engaging in a resource-intensive county magistrate election at this stage would be difficult to effectively leverage grassroots energy and might even compress the development space for local councilors, representatives, and grassroots organizations.

In addition to the Changhua decision, the TPP also resolved not to nominate a candidate in the Taoyuan Zhongli district councilor election. This decision came after three individuals had expressed interest in running. The party cited concerns about the image and commitments of potential nominees, indicating that they would not field a candidate in this specific district for the upcoming local elections.

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In addition, the Election Decision Committee decided not to nominate a candidate in the Zhongli district of Taoyuan City this year.