TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) deemed Terry Gou's independent presidential run as a shot in the dark against the dominant Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Tuesday (Aug. 29), despite the candidate's aims to unite all opposition party candidates.
Observers familiar with the matter said that if Gou, 72, were the only candidate against the ruling party, he would "have a good shot," as his rags-to-riches story has won him acclaim across Taiwan, the BBC reported.
Gou, however, is not the sole opposition contender. The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) has charismatic populist Ko Wen-je at its helm. Since he is particularly popular among young voters, he may leech potential supporters away from Gou, the report continued.
Describing this scenario to be the "law of holes," a metaphor warning that the best thing to do when in an untenable position is to stop making the situation worse, Taiwan's opposition parties seem to "be digging their own electoral grave," the author wrote.
The BBC analysis concluded that despite the fact that Gou possesses wealth and fame, his candidacy is more likely "to divide the opposition vote further," making the DPP candidate Lai Ching-te "the most likely candidate to become Taiwan's next president."
