TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's former speaker of the Legislative Yuan urged independent presidential candidate Terry Gou on Friday (Nov. 17) to "return to the Blue camp" and unite as a team. Speaking in a press briefing, Wang Jin-pyng said: "We hope he can return to the Blue camp."
The final ticket lineup for the coalition between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) is expected to be revealed on Saturday. Meanwhile, Gou's next move in the 2024 presidential election is drawing significant attention.
Gou, a business tycoon, has officially qualified for the race, securing over 90,000 electorate signatures, three times the required threshold. However, the strong support for the blue-white alliance raises questions about whether Gou should continue his campaign.
Chao Shao-kang, Chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of China, advised Gou to reconsider his candidacy. Chao argued that Gou's continued participation would not be advantageous and urged him to make a decision based on logic rather than emotion.
"Terry Gou might not have enough votes given the Blue and White alliance. There might be some, but not enough to get elected. If you know you can't win, what's the point of running?" Chao asked.
Gou's campaign office emphasized that cooperation between the Blue-White and the Gou-Ko Wen-je alliance is possible, noting that there are variables and opportunities for collaboration before the registration period, which starts on Nov. 20.
The substantial support for Gou, evident from the number of signatures he has gathered, holds the potential to influence the election's outcome. Hence, his forthcoming decision will be pivotal for the opposition KMT and TPP, and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.