TAIPEI (TVBS News) — In a Wednesday (Dec. 6) night livestream interview with media personality Anne Wang, Taiwan People's Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je admitted that his handling of the split with the Kuomintang (KMT), known as the break in the "blue-white" partnership, was not managed well, as evidenced by his lagging position at the bottom of multiple polls.
Ko, facing a widening gap with his second-ranked rival KMT's Hou Yu-ih, expressed his determination to "reset and restart," suggesting a renewed campaign effort amidst disappointing survey results.
During the candid interview, he confessed to living with regret every day since his decision to run for Taipei mayor in 2014.
Despite better polling numbers in previous months, Ko emphasized that the key outcome will be determined on election day. He also voiced frustration over unjust accusations linking him to the negative impacts of Terry Gou's influence, claiming it was not his responsibility.
As for the TPP's electoral goals, Ko seeks to secure a total of 10 seats, combining proportional representation and electoral district votes. He highlighted the necessity of obtaining at least 5.5 million votes to win the presidency.
Addressing the complexities of U.S.-China relations, Ko likened Taiwan's position to navigating a delicate mother-in-law relationship, underscoring the president's need to communicate effectively with both "mothers-in-law."
In the face of fierce competition from the KMT and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) camps, Ko pledges to continue his fight for the presidency through to the last.