Although Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (
Lee Wen-chung (李文忠), a DPP member who quit his legislative post last year because he was dissatisfied over a series of corruption scandals linked to President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) family, said that a Hsieh-Yeh ticket should be put in place as quickly as possible to solidify party unity in preparation for next year's March 22 presidential election.
Speaking to reporters at the Legislative Yuan, Lee said that a Hsieh-Yeh ticket should be announced as soon as possible because the other possible running mate, former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), had shown no interest in becoming a vice presidential candidate.
Discussing the issue further will only embarrass Su and Yeh and erode Hsieh's chances in the presidential poll, Lee said.
DPP Legislator Kao Chien-chih (
Regardless of who Hsieh chooses, all party members should work hard for the campaign, Kao said.
Hsieh's aides said that he would announce his choice of running mate on Wednesday evening after his trip to Singapore and Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Yeh, who is visiting Singapore, criticized Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
Yeh said that Ma and Siew's economic proposals would not benefit Taiwan because the "cross-strait common market" promoted by Siew lacked a "Taiwan-centric" perspective.
Ma, Siew, or anyone else seeking to become the nation's top leaders must realize that the No. 1 priority is to protect Taiwan's sovereignty, she said.
Otherwise Taiwan could sink to the same status that Hong Kong has, she said, adding that the success of Hong Kong's economy did not amount to sovereignty.
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