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Ma-Wang ticket out: lawmaker

A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker yesterday said that efforts to form a presidential ticket with former KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) as the presidential candidate and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) as the vice presidential candidate were "a hopeless cause."

"I believe that Wang will announce [that he will not pair up with Ma] when he gets back from Malaysia," KMT Legislator Hsu Shu-po (許舒博) said.

Wang left for Malaysia yesterday to deliver a speech at the invitation of the Asian Chinese Entrepreneurs Summit and was scheduled to return to Taiwan today.

Approached by the press about the likelihood of a "Ma-Wang ticket" before his departure, Wang said he would "give everyone an answer" after his return.

After Ma formally offered Wang the vice presidential ticket on May 9, Wang on Saturday publicly discussed his stance for the first time.

Wang said that he would rather speak of "Ma-Wang cooperation" instead of a "Ma-Wang ticket," because it effectively communicated their mutual goal of helping the party win next year's presidential election.

Asked to interpret Wang's remarks, Hsu, who is affiliated with Wang, said that the speaker would turn down Ma's offer.

If Wang accepts Ma's offer, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would demand Wang quit as speaker for the reason that the speaker must remain neutral, Hsu said.

"Considering the possible ramifications it could have on the party's election performance if he resigned, Wang believes that he should stay put," Hsu said.

KMT Legislator Hung Shiu-chu (洪秀柱), who previously said that "Ma-Wang cooperation" would be better than a "Ma-Wang ticket" to boost the party's chances of winning the election, yesterday said that she was not surprised at the remarks Wang made on Saturday.

"A marriage won't work if a groom is forced to marry a bride he doesn't really like. Wang knows that well and he thinks he can help Ma more if his cooperation with Ma takes another form rather than being his running mate," Hung said.

Wang has advanced the deadline for giving Ma a definite answer from June 24 to Thursday at Ma's request.

Ma said on Friday he hoped Wang would give a definite answer by the end of this month.

Wang said he would meet with Ma by Thursday and let him know his decision.
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