Taiwan's Hsieh picks former premier as running mate

TAIPEI, Aug 15 (Reuters) Taiwan presidential candidate Frank Hsieh of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party picked on Wednesday a former premier backed by the current leader as his running-mate for the 2008 election.

Hsieh, one of two serious candidates in the March 2008 elections, chose ex-premier Su Tseng-chang, a defeated rival in the DPP's presidential primary who is backed by President Chen Shui-bian.

The announcement came the day after a Taipei court cleared Hsieh's 2008 opponent, Ma Ying-jeou of the Nationalist Party, of corruption charges.

Hsieh and Su are considered moderates in the DPP, which favours formal independence from China. Beijing regards self-ruled democratic Taiwan as part of its territory rather than a separate country.

''I spoke to former Premier Su and he clearly told me that he is willing to go with the society's expectations to be my running mate,'' Hsieh said at Taipei's international airport, after returning from a trip to southeast Asia.

Su was Chen's fifth premier to quit, beginning his term in early 2006 and resigning in May of this year after losing the party presidential primary to Hsieh.

Hsieh said on Wednesday he picked Su in an effort to make the ruling party more united.

Su is known for his gravelly voice, unwavering grin and nickname the ''light bulb'', given because of his bald head.

Hsieh faces a tough race next year against Ma, candidate of the main opposition Nationalist Party, or KMT. The KMT, which ruled all of China before losing power to Mao Zedong's Communists in 1949 and fleeing to the island, favours unification with China if Beijing adopts democracy.

REUTERS SLD PM1625