Taiwan Opposition Deadlock Continues Over Joint Presidential Ticket

Disagreements persist on candidate roles amid looming Chinese influence on upcoming elections.

The main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), and the smaller Taiwan People's Party (TPP) are deadlocked in talks for a joint presidential ticket, with disagreements over who should run as president and vice president.
The issue of China, which views Taiwan as its territory, is a significant factor in the upcoming Jan. 13 parliamentary and presidential elections.
The parties agreed to look at an aggregate of opinion polls to decide which party's candidate would run for each position, but failed to reach an agreement on how to interpret the polls.
TPP chairman Ko Wen-je has vowed to continue fighting as the TPP's presidential candidate, while KMT Chairman Eric Chu emphasized the importance of unity.
Current frontrunner, Vice President Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is seen as a separatist by China, which has refused his calls for talks.