The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on Saturday failed to reach a consensus on a united ballot for the January presidential election due to disagreements over sampling error size and polling methodology.
The two opposition parties on Wednesday announced they were to use public polling to decide who would take the lead spot on the ballot, KMT candidate New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) or TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
Each of the parties and former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) picked an expert to analyze polls conducted from Tuesday last week to Friday, with the results to be announced at 10am on Saturday.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
However, after discussion late into the night on Friday, the three polling experts failed to reach a consensus, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said.
The TPP representative protested using three of the nine selected surveys, leaving a stalemate over whether they should be included, Hsiao said, without specifying the issues cited.
If the six remaining surveys are analyzed using the statistical margin of error, five support a Hou-Ko ticket, Hsiao said.
However, if a 3-percentage-point margin were used as supported by the TPP, they would be tied at three apiece, he added.
According to their agreed criteria from Wednesday’s meeting, a result within the margin of error would count as a point toward a Hou-Ko ticket, meaning a larger sampling error size would favor the KMT candidate.
The experts have therefore recommended that discussions be continued at a later date, Hsiao said.
At a separate news conference later in the morning, Ko reiterated the importance of forming an opposition alliance.
Ko said he wishes to keep negotiating with the KMT, but could not allow a 6-percentage-point margin of error.
“It’s like asking us to surrender our weapons,” he said.
Asked whether this means the breakdown of an opposition coalition, Ko said that “anything is possible” until the window for candidate registration closes at 5pm on Friday.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old