Taiwan’s opposition parties split over mayoral race, threatening 2028 election alliance

Taiwan’s two opposition parties have turned a mayoral contest in Zhubei into a test of their ability to cooperate. After weeks of negotiations, the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People’s Party each registered a candidate for the race in the biggest city in Hsinchu county.

The KMT nominated Hsinchu county councillor Wu Hsu-chih. The smaller TPP also put forward its own candidate, Chiu, ending efforts to produce a joint contender.

The rupture threatens to spill into November’s elections and further erode the fragile trust between the parties. That trust is central to discussions about a possible opposition alliance in the 2028 election.