By Jono Thomson, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei - Terry Gou (郭台銘)'s attempt to organize a meeting between Taiwan's opposition parties in hopes of reaching a deal for a joint presidential run did not yield the desired outcome on Thursday (Nov. 23).

During a press conference following the meeting, Taiwan People's Party candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) disclosed that disagreements over polling remained the main obstacle to a potential collaboration for a joint presidential candidacy with the Kuomintang's (KMT) Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜). The tensions between Ko and KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫) escalated at times, leaving the meeting's organizer Gou disillusioned with the results.

At the outset of the press conference, Gou expressed his connection to the meeting's location at Grand Hyatt, stating that it held sentimental value as it was the venue for his wedding. He also mentioned that former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had attended both his wedding and the meeting earlier in the day.

Initially, Gou expected the meeting to be exclusively between Ko and Hou without the presence of Chu and Ma. However, accommodating all five individuals proved challenging, resulting in a over four-hour delay for Ma.

When Gou offered Ma an opportunity to explain his role in the meeting, he declined, stating, "I am here only to observe, not to make announcements," in response to the crowd of journalists gathered.

Gou then turned to KMT Chair Chu, urging him to clarify his involvement. As Hou began to speak, Gou quickly interrupted and redirected his question to Chu, emphasizing the latter's responsibility as the chair of the party.

During his turn to speak, Hou sought permission from Ko to read out text messages exchanged between them, which Ko consented to. The text message read out loud depicted Ko suggesting that Gou needed a face-saving reason to withdraw from the election, with the meeting offering a suitable opportunity.

In response, Ko reproached Hou for publicly sharing private texts, deeming it inappropriate for a presidential candidate. He humorously remarked, "This is something a commentator does to infer meaning when it isn't there," drawing laughter and some applause from the audience.

A spokesperson from Gou's office raised a question regarding the opinion polls utilized by the KMT, which offended Chu. Clearly angered, Chu expressed his gratitude to those in attendance and abruptly left the press conference along with Ma.

Closing the press conference, Gou expressed disappointment that the meeting did not yield a more favorable outcome on Thanksgiving Day.

Despite Gou's efforts, the meeting concluded without a resolution, prolonging the uncertainty surrounding a potential joint presidential run between the opposition parties. The disagreement over polling and the strained tensions between key figures continue to present challenges to their collaboration.