Hsieh made the remarks in Pingtung County while answering reporters' questions after local newspapers reported that public approval ratings for the opposition Kuomintang's (KMT) presidential ticket, formed by former chairman Ma Ying-jeou and former Premier Vincent Siew, are higher than those of the DPP, regardless of whether former Premier Su Tseng-chang or former Vice Premier Yeh Chu-lan is chosen to complete the ticket.

Ma announced that Siew would be his running mate a day earlier and KMT delegates gave the pairing their stamp of approval during theKMT's 17th national congress after agreeing to amend a clause of the party's charter that would have barred Ma, who has been indicted on embezzlement charges, from taking part in the presidential election if he is found quilty in the first trial.

Commenting on the poll results showing that he is trailing the opposition, Hsieh said that he will not be mindful of temporary ups and downs in public approval ratings, but rather focus on doing the right thing.

According to Hsieh, the KMT's charter revision, aimed at allowing Ma to run in the coming presidential election, was improper, and the higher approval rating Ma currently enjoys is meaningless. Hsieh went on to warn Ma that he might be cast aside by voters upset with the KMT's wrongdoing.

Lee Ying-yuan, executive director of Hsieh's election campaign office, told a news conference later the same day that the KMT's decision to revise its charter to smooth the way for Ma was solely motivated by partisan gain and will seriously hobble the development of party politics in Taiwan.

Speaking on the same occasion, DPP lawmaker Hsu Kuo-yung accused the KMT of "back pedaling" on Taiwan's political development with the charter amendment. He blamed the KMT for a lack of self reflection and asked Ma to come up with a clear explanation regarding the issue.

In response to Ma's pledge that if elected president, he would allow the DPP to form a Cabinet should that party gain a majority of seats in the Legislative Yuan, DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming called Ma's promise an "electoral gambit" to deceive voters, and a political maneuver by the KMT to gloss over his corruption charges.

"Ma's pledge is merely 'empty talk' because he knows very well that the DPP can hardly win more than half of the seats in the legislature," Ker claimed.

"If Ma is sincere in his vow that he will do his best to improve Taiwan's economy," Ker asked, "why do 'pan-blue' lawmakers of the KMT and the People First Party still refuse to approve some key bills devoted to the country's economic development, such as the annual budget bills for state-run enterprises and several special funds?"

Regarding a United Daily newspaper report that the Ma-Siew ticket will lure votes from supporters of the "pan-green" camp and median voters, DPP lawmaker Wang Shu-hui called it a KMT trick, saying that the KMT was blowing its own trumpet.

According to the report, some 51 percent of the respondents to its survey favor the Ma-Siew ticket and opined that Ma's pairing up with Siew will help lure an additional 4 percent in support from "pan-green" and moderate voters.