TAIPEI (TVBS News) — With less than five months remaining until the 2024 presidential elections, a new poll published by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation on Monday shows Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Lai Ching-te leading with 43.4% of the vote.
Taiwan People's Party (TPP) candidate Ko Wen-je follows closely behind with the support of 26.6% of voters. Meanwhile, Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Hou Yu-ih gained 13.6% backing. About 16.3% of voters remain undecided.
Former legislator Julian Kuo suggested that Lai's rising popularity may be linked to voters having no expectation of unity outside the green camp, causing a "coattail effect." In addition, Kuo suggested that Lai's transit through the U.S. and interview with Bloomberg made him appear more presidential.
Though Kuo believes Lai's momentum has peaked and may be hard to maintain, he added that Lai still holds the vice presidency, providing him an advantage over Ko and Hou.
Yu Ying-lung, chairman of the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation, said that compared to July's poll, the DPP's cohesion increased by 5 percentage points, while KMT decreased by 11 points, and the Taiwan People's Party fell by 6 points.
Furthermore, Lai's popularity with neutral voters rose by 8 points, while Ko's declined by 4 points. No significant change occurred with Hou's ratings.