By KHT Staff – Image shows KMT Kaohsiung mayoral candidate legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩).
KAOHSIUNG — With the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) set to launch its Kaohsiung mayoral primary poll on Sunday, opposition figures are seizing on internal party tensions, accusing the ruling party of arrogance and factional politics.
UDN reports that Kuomintang (KMT) legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) is criticizing what she called the DPP’s “succession narrative” after a public event where candidate Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) symbolically received a relay baton from incumbent Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁). Ko said democratic politics should not revolve around anointed heirs and warned that such symbolism disadvantages the other three DPP contenders — Lin Tai-hua (林岱樺), Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆), and Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑).
Ko argued that several candidates have tried to bolster their campaigns by highlighting ties to current or former political heavyweights, including former Kaohsiung mayor and Control Yuan President Chen Chu (陳菊). “Personal connections and factional backing won’t give Kaohsiung a better future,” she said, urging voters to reject entrenched party interests.
Meanwhile, in Tainan, KMT legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) said grassroots dissatisfaction with DPP rule is growing after more than three decades in power. He claimed voters are eager for political change and warned that whoever carries the DPP banner in 2026 will face mounting public pressure.
The DPP’s Kaohsiung primary phone poll runs from January 12 to 17.
