It's now official: PFP’s Soong is in!

l  The People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong collected and submitted 463,259 signatures to the Taipei City Election Commission for verification in early November.

l  The total number of signatures submitted was, in fact, more than many had expected since doubts remained about: (1) whether Soong intended to run “until the end,” and (2) whether the PFP, without an islandwide organization to support the signature drive, would be able to collect more than 257,695 signatures necessary for Soong’s candidacy to become official.

l  The ruling Kuomintang (KMT) will likely downplay Soong’s candidacy, thus avoiding lending credibility to the PFP chairman and turning the presidential contest into truly a three-way race.

l  The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), on the other hand, will have a near-opposite approach than the KMT’s. It is clearly to the DPP’s advantage to have Soong become a credible candidate early, thus splitting pan-Blue support and undermining President Ma’s chances at winning.

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