TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan People's Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je on Thursday (Jan. 4) questioned the honesty of the Kuomintang (KMT), accusing them of playing power politics to divert attention from their own deficiencies.
Ko's comments were due to skepticism aimed toward the KMT's vice-presidential candidate, Jaw Shaw-kong, who earlier suggested that if elected, he would invite Ko and Foxconn founder Terry Gou to discuss potential candidates for the premier position. Ko believes Jaw's comments to be insincere, and believes these types of tactics should disqualify him as a competent candidate.
He also called into question whether Jaw was truly the first choice for Hou Yu-ih, the KMT's candidate for president. Postulating that if this was the case, Hou must be frustrated with Jaw's statements.
Meanwhile, Ko addressed his reasons for not running for president in 2020. In 2019, Ko said he did not participate in the presidential race due to his focus on the complex politics of Taipei City.
He deemed the city crippled by an array of issues, including shootings, fires, and domestic violence.
Indeed, he had previously challenged Hou, the then New Taipei City mayor, saying Hou should not seek reelection if he planned to run for president— a stance he now regards as moot.
Probing further, Ko suggested that a city representative switching to a legislator role would be less disruptive. Conversely, he added, a mayor's absence creates substantial difficulties, a reality he finds hardly surprising.
