President Ma Ying-jeou will be announcing his running mate at the KMT's National Congress in late June.

Currently, both Vice President Vincent Siew and Premier Wu Den-yih are regarded as the top picks for the position, and are keeping a low profile for the time being.

Grassroots supporters meanwhile, say that Ma should consider choosing a female running mate or an industrial leader instead.

As President Ma Ying-jeou seeks his re-election bid in 2012, and his campaign office is stepping up their preparation.

However, he is not expected to name his running mate until the KMT's National Congress at the end of next month.

Vice President Vincent Siew is currently on a diplomatic tour to Central America and meeting with some high-ranking U.S. officials.

The trip is expected to help Siew prove that his health has improved at a time when many have their sights set on next year's elections.

Premier Wu Den-yih is regarded as the other likeliest candidate for Ma's running mate, and has made numerous public appearances with Ma in recent weeks.

However, Wu is keeping a low profile whenever asked about sharing a ticket with Ma.

The KMT's Local Faction wants Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng as Ma's running mate, while many supporters say that Ma will stand a better chance in winning the election if he chooses a female vice president, such as Labor Minister Wang Ju-hsuan or Chiayi City Mayor Huang Ming-hui, or an industry leader.

Ma says that he will respect the wishes of the KMT's National Congress and he will not announce his running mate till next month.

Experts say that the additional time will allow the KMT to select someone that best matches up against whoever the DPP chooses as its vice president candidate. Some people even suggest that President Ma to provide voters a new option by choosing someone from the private sector as his running mate.