Popular Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je offers ‘another choice’ with launch of new political party
- Ko, a former trauma surgeon who is known as something of a maverick, says he wants to change political culture with Taiwan People’s Party
- Speculation is rife that he could run as a presidential candidate in January, or team up with Taiwan’s richest man, Foxconn founder Terry Gou
A popular Taiwanese mayor launched a new party on Tuesday that could chip away at the two main political camps that have long dominated the island’s politics as it heads towards crucial elections in January.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, 60, said he wanted to change Taiwan’s political culture and offer people “another choice” beside the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT).
Former trauma surgeon Ko won the Taipei mayoralty as an independent and built a reputation for being something of a maverick with an especially effective social media presence.
When Ko was locked in a tight race for re-election last year, he made a rap music video aimed at reaching out to younger voters that quickly went viral.
He is often known by his nickname “Ko P” – the P being a reference to the fact that he was once a medical professor.
The island will vote for a new president and parliament in elections in January set to be dominated by relations with China.