Cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party in the Zhubei City mayoral election in Hsinchu has fallen apart, leaving relations between the two parties strained once again — bad news for both parties' electoral prospects.

• Blue-white cooperation talks over the Zhubei mayoral election broke down, and the two parties are each fielding their own candidate.

• Ko Wen-je said the collapse was a "black swan" that no one had anticipated, but that what is worse is that no one has dealt with the aftermath, turning it into a "grey rhino" that is being ignored.

• He did not blame either side, but said it was highly unusual that the two party chairs have still not sat down to discuss how to clean up.

• Ko Wen-je is currently in Yilan campaigning for the Taiwan People's Party's local candidates, and the effects of the breakdown are hard to predict.

Outlook: If the blue and white camps cannot repair relations in the short term, the local elections could turn into a mutual attack, with both sides' voter bases potentially taking damage.