TPP's Ko vows to campaign for presidency as opposition 'leader'

Taipei, Nov. 24 (CNA) Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Friday said that as the "leader of Taiwan's opposition parties," he felt duty-bound to enter the Jan. 13 presidential election in the face of a ruling party that is "increasingly out of touch with the people and progressive values."

Taiwan has been plagued by stagnant wages, high house prices, and high rent, and healthcare and labor insurance systems that are experiencing financial strain, with some even on the verge of bankruptcy, Ko said outside the Central Election Commission building in Taipei, where he registered his candidacy.

Ko also pointed to Taiwan's shortage of labor, land, talent, electricity, and water, which, he said, has caused many to become disillusioned and stop pursuing their dreams.

Furthermore, he said, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had failed to make comprehensive plans for the country's future and instead had resorted to profligate spending that only provided brief stimuli for the economy at the expense of financial stability for younger people.

He also pointed to increasingly high tensions in the Taiwan Strait and said that maintaining the "status quo" and pursuing peace is the "common denominator" shared by Taiwan, China and the United States.

As the "leader" of the opposition, Ko said, he was obligated to campaign resolutely in an attempt to realize "unfulfilled ideals."

If elected, Ko said, he would put together a "clean, diligent and professional" administrative team that would care deeply about the people and encourage transparency, openness, and public participation.

Regarding his running mate, TPP Legislator Wu Hsin-ying (吳欣盈), Ko said Wu had graduated from prestigious colleges in the United States and the United Kingdom and had served as the executive director at the Shin Kong Life Foundation.

Wu's nomination was decided by the TPP's election decision-making committee in a vote, Ko said.

Wu, the eldest daughter of former Hsin Kong Financial Holding Co. Chairman Eugene Wu (吳東進), said she hoped her "international perspective and financial expertise" would help the pair win popular support.

Asked to comment on the TPP's decision to pick Wu, Dachi Liao (廖達琪), an emeritus professor at National Sun Yat-sen University's Graduate Institute of Political Science, said Wu's lack of experience in politics could limit her ability to solicit votes for the Ko-Wu ticket.

Liao added that Wu, if elected, would be the first-in-line for the presidency, a challenging position for a political novice.

Wu was inaugurated as TPP legislator-at-large in Nov. 2022 to fill a seat left vacant by former TPP Legislator Tsai Pi-ju (蔡壁如), who resigned after it was discovered that she had plagiarized her master's thesis.

Furthermore, Liao said, it was doubtful whether Wu's status as a member of the wealthy elite would win her much popular support.

Liao said that the TPP may have thought nominating someone with a connection to the U.S. to be its vice presidential candidate would have a positive impact, but that experience was still important.

She noted the level of political experience between Wu and former Taiwan representative to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), the DPP's vice president candidate, was "worlds apart."

Also on Friday

KMT's Hou and newly named running mate Jaw Shau-kong register candidacy