President Tsai Ing-wen and former Premier William Lai are both vying to secure the Democratic Progressive Party's presidential nomination. In recent days, the two of them have used the media to send messages to the other.


If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose. There are no issues with yielding.

Former Premier William Lai recently proposed a new method of conducting the opinion polls that will help the Democratic Progressive Party to decide on its presidential candidate. Lai is battling against President Tsai Ing-wen to secure the nomination. Tsai said she is determined to win re-election, and there are no issues with yielding. She also called on the DPP's Central Executive Committee to stop dragging its feet. Meanwhile, her supporters have ramped up their criticism of Lai for showing up at DDP headquarters while the committee was meeting on May 22, calling it a "surprise attack." One day later, he gave an interview and responded to the criticism.

I am earnestly trying to explain that our objective is to win the election. If we don't follow the original mechanism in holding the primary, how can you speak about cooperation? How can you speak about unity? I don't have to leave the party to run. (Leave the party?) I love this party dearly.

Lai used this interview to air his grievances, and claimed the new opinion poll method is a painstaking effort, not a sneak attack. He added this is the bottom line and tried to distance himself from the "favorite grandson of Taiwanese independence" label that he has been given. He said his opponent had political objectives in slapping him with this label. Tsai supporters have also questioned the actions of DPP Chairperson Cho Jung-tai. During the committee meeting on May 22, Cho called for a break midway through the meeting and then adjourned it. According to Tsai supporters, he is taking control of the committee and the primary, as well as favoring Lai, dashing all hopes for a primary consensus.

The Central Executive Committee meeting will be continued next Wednesday. I hope everyone will attend. This meeting is adjourned.

Cho posted on Facebook that both the Lai and Tsai camps were notified that a break would be called. He also explained that the committee is not in the habit of using votes to decide matters, and he asked the two sides if they have any compromise plans. After this, Lai arrived and proposed the new method for opinion polls. After the Tsai camp grasped the situation, it proposed convening another meeting next week because it wished for more time to think and coordinate due to the new situation, and it said it will continue to study opinion poll formatting issues. The approval of Lai and other people were obtained, forming a concrete consensus on both sides. Cho also asked how accepting suggestions and agreeing can be viewed as taking control of the meeting. He went on to say that allowing Lai to hold press conferences at the party headquarters is not the position of the party and is inappropriate.



總統 蔡英文(2019.5.23)表示：「我們贏就是贏，輸就是輸，沒有所謂讓的問題。」

面對賴清德提出協調民調新方案，總統蔡英文重申，一定讓自己連任，沒有所謂讓不讓的問題，呼籲中執會不要再拖。蔡陣營也不斷批評，賴清德突襲22號中執會，隔天上節目專訪，也回擊"突襲說"，太沉重。

前行政院長 賴清德(2019.5.23)表示：「我苦口婆心地在說明，我們的目標都是要贏得大選，今天初選如果沒有按照原來的機制走，你如何談合作？如何談團結？我沒有必要脫黨競選。（脫黨呢？) 我深愛這個黨。」

上節目大吐苦水，賴清德強調新方案不是偷襲，而是一番苦心，自己也沒必要脫黨競選，新方案就是底限，還撇清台獨"金孫"的封號，認為被對手扣上這名字，充滿政治目的。由於蔡陣營質疑黨主席卓榮泰，在22號中執會半途喊休息最後散會，是沒收中執會，沒收初選，還偏袒賴清德，讓快要達成的初選共識泡湯。

民進黨主席 卓榮泰(2019.5.22)表示：「下禮拜三再開中執會，請大家繼續來，散會。」

卓榮泰打破沉漠，在臉書還原現場，強調有告知蔡賴兩陣營，會宣布休息，並說明中執會慣例不動用表決，尋問雙方有無折衷方案，隨後賴清德才趕赴中執會，提出新方案，蔡陣營了解後，則以「新的狀況希望多一點時間思考與協調，建議下週再次召開中執會，並繼續研究手機比例與對比方式等問題」，得到賴清德本人和其他人員的贊同，形成雙方的具體共識。卓榮泰最後在臉書回嗆外界質疑，接受建議在場同意，何來沒收會議，也坦言借賴清德在黨部開記者會，並非黨部立場，確實有不宜之處。