TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The latest public opinion poll released by the "Formosa" website on Friday (Nov. 24) shows a tight race in Taiwan’s presidential election, with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Lai Ching-te leading by a slim margin of 31.4%, closely followed by Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Hou Yu-ih at 31.1%.
Taiwan People's Party (TPP) candidate Ko Wen-je lands in third place with 25.2%, putting him behind the front-runners by over 6 percentage points.
During political commentary show TVBS Situation Room, former legislator Shen Fu-hsiung shared his analysis, emphasizing that the close polling between Hou and Ko does not provide a substantial lead for Lai.
However, he asserted that calls for a collaboration between KMT and TPP may not be the right move right now.
Further explaining the political dynamics, Shen noted that in presidential system countries, the circumstances present in the current election wouldn't typically lead to talks of cooperation, unlike in parliamentary systems where post-election coalitions may form.
Given the widening gap in support levels between Hou and Ko, Shen urged political observers to relinquish the idea of a pan-blue alliance.
Shen also mentioned that despite the poll numbers drawing nearer between the two parties, the KMT should focus on diminishing the TPP's support if they intend to surpass the DPP in the upcoming elections, signaling a need to consolidate the pan-blue vote without relying on a formal alliance.