New taipei: The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) and Kuomintang (KMT) are set to announce a joint policy platform on March 13, marking the initial step towards a formal cooperation agreement as they gear up for Taiwan's local elections in November 2026. TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang disclosed this development on Wednesday. According to Focus Taiwan, a press release following the TPP's central committee meeting indicated that the joint policy platform will be unveiled at a press event in New Taipei's Xinzhuang District. The platform will address key issues such as social welfare, housing justice, environmental sustainability, and industrial development. This initiative represents the first stage of a three-part electoral cooperation plan between the two parties. Huang elaborated that the second stage involves signing a written cooperation agreement, which is currently under discussion and anticipated for release by the end of March. The final stage will focus on selecting a strong slate of candidates for the elect ions scheduled for November 28. Taiwan's local elections, held every four years, will see voters choosing mayors and city councilors in major municipalities including Taipei, New Taipei, and Kaohsiung, alongside other regional positions across the country. Both the opposition parties, TPP and KMT, alongside the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), have initiated the candidate selection process, with official registration set for late August. The TPP and KMT aim to prevent vote splitting among opposition candidates, which could inadvertently benefit the DPP. In New Taipei, for instance, the presence of two strong opposition candidates-Huang for the TPP and Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan-adds uncertainty to a traditionally KMT-held seat unless a consensus is reached. In the 2024 presidential election, a similar attempt for a joint ticket between KMT and TPP failed due to disagreements over vice-presidential nominations, a move believed to have contributed to the opposition's loss. Consequently, Pres ident Lai Ching-te won with 40.05 percent of the vote amid a divided opposition.