On the eve of Taiwan's 2026 local elections, the jockeying for position within the ruling party has come out into the open, putting pressure on both the DPP and the KMT-TPP camp.

• Lai Ching-te is said to be unwilling to bring Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai into the cabinet, out of concern that Chen would grow too powerful and challenge his re-election bid in 2028.
• Chen Chi-mai is more likely to be placed in the Presidential Office as secretary-general, a respectable post that would also keep him close at hand; former Pingtung County Magistrate Pan Men-an has been named as the leading candidate to form a future cabinet.
• Incumbent Premier Cho Jung-tai will stay on for the time being, shielding Lai Ching-te from front-line disputes in the Legislative Yuan.
• Cracks have appeared in KMT-TPP cooperation, with negotiations in Zhubei breaking down and the discontent spreading to Yilan; open quarrels have also erupted within the KMT.
• Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an had been leading in his re-election bid, but has been labelled as enjoying "special privileges" after his son obtained a place on a city-government-funded exchange programme; in New Taipei, Lee Szu-chuan still holds a narrow lead over Su Chiao-hui.

Outlook: With just over two months to go before the elections, the KMT-TPP rift and the privilege controversy surrounding Chiang Wan-an will be the biggest variables, and cabinet appointments will not truly be settled until the election results are in.