Scandal-Hit Ko Wen-je's Political Future in Question

Once a rising political star, Taiwan People's Party founder Ko Wen-je faces scandals that have brought the future of his career into question.

Transcript

00:00Taiwan People's Party Chair Ko Wen-je brushes past reporters who've been camped out waiting

00:04for him. He was once a rising political star, first as Taipei mayor, then as presidential

00:09candidate for the party he founded. But now caught up in scandal, the future of his career

00:14and the party still centered on him are in question.

00:17Ko's come under fire for financial irregularities, including using campaign funds to buy office

00:22space for personal use. The uproar has hit the self-styled anti-corruption party hard

00:27in the polls, with support dropping as low as 6.2 percent. The party has promised to

00:32respond in a press conference Thursday afternoon.

00:35We will focus on the entire political fraud case. Where did the money go from the initial

00:44false report? We will give you a complete statement.

00:46But despite that official stance, some in the party say it's time for urgent damage control.

00:51There are even rumors Ko may use Thursday's press conference to step down, or at least

00:55take a leave of absence, and that three-party stalwarts will be put in place as joint deputy

01:00chairs.

01:01It's just my personal opinion. I don't want to do it.

01:02Do you want to be vice-chair?

01:03No, I need to think about it now.

01:04We need to stop the bloodshed as soon as possible. If we stop the bloodshed, we need to take

01:05more drastic measures.

01:06But even if Ko steps down, his troubles may not be over. Two land scandals from his time

01:07as Taipei mayor haven't gone away. Just Wednesday, police made fresh searches and questioned

01:08suspects in one of these cases.

01:09I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going

01:10to do it. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it. I'm

01:11I'm just going to try another way. If they catch me, I'll give them hell.

01:19As for that deal with power, they tried to reverse it. They're trying to lose control

01:25of the country so

01:40it might also mean the end of that third party, key to the legislative balance of power, with

01:45unpredictable results.

01:47Klein Wong and John Van Triest for Taiwan Plus.