Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (
At a press conference held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Hsieh said he made the offer to Su before leaving for the US on July 20, but so far Su had yet to respond.
Hsieh said he had attempted to persuade Su to be his running mate through a number of channels, including text messages and visiting Su's family, but he had not had the chance to communicate with the former premier directly.
Hsieh, however, urged Su to take into consideration the bigger picture for Taiwan when making his decision.
"If we cannot cooperate because of [conflicts] in the primary, how could I keep promoting coexistence and cooperation? It will be impossible to integrate society in Taiwan, too," Hsieh said.
united
"This is not just my own election. [I hope] DPP members will be united and cooperate with each other again to fight for this [presidential] poll," he said.
It was the first time that Hsieh has specified his choice of running mate since he defeated Su, Vice President Annette Lu (
Hsieh had said that he would announce his final choice on Wednesday at a rally in Taipei, where his running mate would also be present.
Early last month, Hsieh said he would choose his vice presidential partner after assessing the results of a public opinion poll on Su and former vice premier Yeh Chu-lan (
Yeh, a Hakka who enjoys widespread support from Hakka groups, has expressed her interest in being Hsieh's running mate.
Su said on July 5 that he had no intention of competing with Yeh.
Su embarked on a "journey of learning" to the US on July 29 -- several hours before Hsieh returned from his 10-day US visit. Su is still in the US.
Hsieh said yesterday that he had communicated with Yeh and invited her to join his campaign team. She had been very understanding, he said.
protege
DPP Legislator Wu Ping-jui (
Wu said it would be easier to persuade Su if Hsieh emphasizes continuity of the "pro-localization" regime, which Su has placed over his own interests.
When approached by reporters in Taoyuan, Yeh said she accepted and respected any decision that Hsieh had made.
She added that she would do her best to campaign for Hsieh no matter what position she may be offered in the end.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) offered his blessing to Hsieh for deciding on his vice presidential candidate yesterday.
"I give my blessing to both Hsieh and Su no matter whether they pair up or not," Ma said during a visit to Chiayi City.
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih
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