Su Jia-chyuan named as Tsai's running mate for election

Speaking at a press conference, Tsai also said Su, more than anyone else, must be credited with the revival of the DPP from a low ebb.

The morale of the DPP camp is said to have been given a shot in the arm after Tsai's announcement. Legislators from the ruling KMT, however, dismissed Tsai's choice as a person unlikely to make a difference in the outcome of the presidential race.

Ing-wen's Choice

Expressing her gratefulness for Su's acceptance of the remaining spot on her ticket, Tsai said she and Su are a fighting duo as well as a winning combination, calling Su an outstanding, politically experienced leader in the middle-age echelon of her party.

“Throughout his tenure as party secretary-general, he has been fighting side by side with me to lift the DPP from adversity, making it capable of taking on the Kuomintang head on and challenging it in next year's presidential election,” she said.

Tsai also thanked former Premier Su Tseng-chang, once a vice presidential hopeful, and other party elders for their counsel. Su Tseng-chang officially declined Tsai's offer on Thursday, Sept. 8.

DPP Thumbs-Up

Su Jia-chyuan's place on the ticket appears to be generally accepted by DPP members. Ker chien-ming, convener of the DPP's legislative caucus, said he “completely” respected the DPP chairwoman's decision on the question of her running mate, while DPP lawmaker Tsai Huang-lang hailed Tsai's long-awaited decision as a boost to the morale of the DPP grassroots members.

Su Jia-chyuan, with his comprehensive experience, his grassroots background in southern Taiwan, and his profound working experience in the central regions, is a perfect partner for Tsai Ing-wen, Tsai Huang-lang said. “Victory is in sight,” he added.

Kuan Bi-ling, another DPP lawmaker, compared Tsai Ing-wen's selection of Su Jia-chyuan as “timely rain” and called the DPP leader's pick a “plus” to her campaign.

KMT Thumbs-Down

Meanwhile, KMT legislators appeared not to be overly concerned by Tsai'choice of running mate, but warned that the party still has to move ahead cautiously and work hard for results.

Claiming he respects the DPP leader's decision, Lin Yi- Shih (林益世), KMT lawmaker and KMT Central Policy Committee Chief Executive, said this showed Tsai Ing-wen's political views were not endorsed by others, and she had to turn inward and rely on her own chief of staff, adding there was no reason to see Su Jia-chyuan as a “plus” to her campaign simply because of his role as party secretary general.

Lin also doubted Tsai Ing-wen and Su Jia-chyuan, both from the southern county of Pingtung, could significantly sway the election outcome in the south. Not all people from Pingtung have made contributions to their home county, he said, adding such people have to do something for their fellow townsmen to earn their support.

A KMT lawmaker from Pingtung said the “Tsai-Su” ticket will make the KMT more confident of winning.

The outcome of the presidential and legislative elections in Kaohsiung will not be significantly affected by Tsai Ing-wen's selection of Su Jia-chyuan as her running mate, said Chiang Lin-Chun, a KMT legislator from Kaohsiung.

Tsai Jin-lung, a KMT legislator from Taichung, said people's curiosity about the new kid on the block had worn thin after Taichung Mayor Jason Hu's marginal win over Su Jia-chyuan in the Taichung mayoral election. Su Jia-chyuan will not be able to significantly boost Tsai Ing-wen's election prospects in the central city, he added.

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