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Wang implies he would cooperate with Ma

After weeks of being tight-lipped about whether he planned to pair up with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday implied that he would cooperate with Ma.

Referring to the relationship between I Yeh-shu (一頁書) and Su Huan-chen (素還真), two of the main characters in a well-known Taiwanese puppet series by Pili films (霹靂布袋戲), Wang said that only his collaboration with Ma could help stabilize the nation.

"The most important thing for the KMT is party unity, because unity can encourage party members to face up to [next year's presidential election]," Wang said.

"Winning the presidential election as well as the year-end legislative elections are the party's goals," he said.

When asked to comment on Wang comparing him to a puppet show character, Ma said at a separate event yesterday that he was willing to be compared to any fictional character as long as he and Wang could cooperate.

Ma met with former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) later yesterday afternoon to discuss a Ma-Wang presidential ticket.

The Ma camp is pushing for a meeting between him and Wang today or tomorrow before Ma embarks on his nationwide bicycle tour on Friday. The tour is scheduled to end on May 20.

Ma discussed the issue with Lien last Wednesday after being nominated as the KMT's presidential candidate. While Wang had expected Lien to attend the meeting, Lien said the two should first discuss the issue on their own.

Ma said yesterday that he has consistently pushed for a Ma-Wang presidential ticket, and reiterated his invitation to Wang to be his vice presidential candidate.

"I have always wanted to invite Speaker Wang in person," Ma said yesterday after giving a speech at National Taiwan University Alumni Association Center, responding to Wang's complaint on Monday that Ma had not made the offer personally.

KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) yesterday urged Wang and Ma to talk things over before he and Lien joined the discussion.

"Chairman Lien and I both think it would be better for them to reach some understanding before we joined their meetings," he said yesterday at KMT headquarters in Taipei.
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