TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Former legislator Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) leads the Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨), Taiwan's main opposition party, leadership race with 30% support ahead of the Oct. 18 election, according to a new survey. Cheng surpasses former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin (郝龍斌) by 12.6 percentage points in recent polling, setting up an intense six-candidate competition for the party's top position.
Apollo Survey & Research Co. Ltd (艾普羅民調公司), a pro-blue polling firm, conducted the survey Tuesday (Sept. 30) and Wednesday (Oct. 1). Hau garnered 17.4% support, while Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) secured 16.3%. Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) received 3.2%, Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源) and Tsai Chih-hung (蔡志弘) earned 1.3% and 0% respectively, with 35.1% remaining undecided.
Party members show conflicting perceptions about electability, with 27% believing Hau has the best winning chances despite Cheng's polling lead. Cheng follows closely at 26.1% in perceived electability, while 35.1% remain undecided. Former legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元) expressed surprise at the significant shift in support from Hau to Cheng.
Tsai stressed the critical importance of party unity, regardless of the election outcome. He urged the future party chair to prioritize cohesion over factional divides, warning against failure if members don't collaborate. The leadership contest reflects broader challenges facing Taiwan's opposition party as it seeks renewed direction. ◼