A coalition between the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and the pan-blue camp should be based on shared political values and ideas, not on the hope of making backroom deals or negotiating over legislative seats, TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday.
He was speaking after officially registering as a candidate for the TPP’s presidential primary, which drew questions from the media about whether a coalition between his party and the pan-blue camp for next year’s elections is no longer possible.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) previously said that the party’s presidential and legislative election strategies would respect Ko’s opinions.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The former Taipei mayor yesterday said that cooperation is still possible if the two parties share the same ideas and values.
The TPP can cooperate with any party as long as they seek to meaningfully benefit people, he said, adding that the TPP has never sought to work with other parties solely to create political advantages, he said.
Collaborations should be based on shared political values and the parties should debate whether cooperation is possible, but so far discussions have been about backroom politics in search of power distribution, which does not meet people’s expectations, he said.
“Can Ko Wen-je work with you? Are you capable of working with Ko Wen-je?” are the questions the pan-blue camp should be asking, he said, adding that is why he has previously said that “it is hard to come together when our DNA is so different.”
Asked about a possible vice presidential candidate, Ko said the TPP is open to recruiting any suitable person, and opinions would be gathered before September.
Although former Taipei deputy mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) is a good candidate, the TPP might want to extend its influence by looking at someone else, he said.
TPP presidential primary candidates were required to register between April 27 and yesterday, and it planned to hold a primary today, if necessary.
After the central party committee confirms the choice, it is to announce its presidential nominee on Wednesday next week.
Separately, a source with knowledge of the TPP said that the think tank responsible for the party’s national affairs white papers would hold lectures on national security, economic transformation and national defense reform.
The think tank is to gather opinions to present its final white papers in August or September, the source said.
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