According to recently released figures, Taiwan's incumbent vice president and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate, Lai Ching-te, is leading in opinion polls following the collapse of an opposition pact. The telephone poll conducted from November 20-22 among 1,084 participants revealed that Lai is currently polling at 31.4%, with Taiwan People's Party candidate Ko Wen-je at 27.3% and Kuomintang candidate Hou Yu-ih at 26.6%. These numbers come after former Kuomintang President Ma Ying-jeou's attempt to broker an alliance between Ko and Hou failed, leaving only three candidates in the race.
The upcoming January 13 election to replace President Tsai Ing-wen will center around key issues such as dealing with increasing military tensions with China, managing ties with the United States, addressing concerns about the domestic economy, and safeguarding Taiwan's freedoms and democratic way of life. The poll, conducted by World United Formosans for Independence and the Taiwan National Security Institute, also indicated that support for the ruling party stands at 34.8%, followed by the Kuomintang at 26.5% and the Taiwan People's Party at 18.7%.