Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/07/31
By: Liang Pei-chi, Wang Cheng-chung and Frances Huang

Taipei, July 31 (CNA) Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has informed the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) that he plans to establish a new political party, his top aide said Wednesday.

Ko, who is serving a second term as Taipei mayor, is seen as a contender in the 2020 presidential election against the incumbent Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT).

According to Ko's top aide Tsai Pi-ju (蔡壁如), the mayor will follow in the footsteps of Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水), who founded the Taiwanese People's Party (台灣民眾黨) in 1927 during the period of Japanese rule.

Chiang was born Aug. 6, 1890 and died Aug. 5, 1931. Ko's political party will be named after Chiang's and will be officially announced on the anniversary of the late leader's birth, the mayor's aides said.    [FULL  STORY]