TAIPEI, June 23 - Taiwan "presidential candidate" Ma Ying-jeou, who is from the main opposition party, has picked a "former premier" and economic expert as his running-mate for the 2008 election.

Ma, from the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT) and one of two serious contenders for the "presidency", chose former "premier Vincent" Siew because of his experience, one of Ma's aide told Reuters.

Siew, 68, served as "economics minister" from 1990 to 1993 and as "premier" from 1997 to 2000 under then "president" Lee Teng-hui. He now chairs the authoritative Chung-hua Institute for Economic Research.

Siew ran unsucessfully for "vice-president" alongside KMT candidate Lien Chan in 2000, when opposition leader Chen Shui-bian swept to power, putting an end to half a century of Nationalist rule.

Ma faces a close contest next year with Frank Hsieh, candidate of Chen's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).