AS THE latest polls showed dismaying results for Mr Bob Dole, the Republican presidential contender confirmed that he has selected a vice presidential candidate whose name is to be announced today. Mr Dole will present his running mate to the media during a visit to his home of Russell, Kansas, before Republican convention. There were increasing signs last night that Mr Dole has chosen Mr Jack Kemp, a popular figure inside and outside the Republican party but one with whom he has had an uneasy relationship in the past.

CNN reported that Mr Dole has told Mr Kemp be can have the post, but has not made a formal offer so that he can deny the story should Mr Kemp turn the proposition down.

Mr Kemp, who is a youthful looking 61 and a former professional football quarter back, is identified with the radical wing of the party, which favours tax cuts to promote economic growth. This would make him an ideal partner for Mr Dole, who earlier this week presented an economic plan based on this so called "supply side" approach.

There have been increasing contacts in recent days between Mr Dole and Mr Kemp, who served in President Bush's cabinet as Secretary for Housing. Mr Kemp, when cornered by reporters yesterday in Orlando, Florida, would only say that the choice of a running mate is solely for Mr Dole to make but he did not rule himself out.

The bad news for Mr Dole was that the latest poll shows him falling further behind President Clinton in spite of the launch of his tax cutting plan last Monday. The USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll finds the Republican contender 23 percentage points behind Mr Clinton, 58 per cent to 35 per cent. Last month the gap was 18 points.

Also disappointing was the unenthusiastic 36 per cent support for Mr Dole's proposed 15 per cent tax cut over three years, with 34 per cent of respondents opposed to it. The convention next week and the selection of a high profile figure like Mr Kemp would boost Mr Dole's ratings.

Mr Dole and Mr Kemp have long had a testy relationship, going back to 1988 when they both unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination. Mr Dole was deeply disappointed in this year's primaries when Mr Kemp switched his support to a rival candidate millionaire Steve Forbes.

Mr Kemp's liberal views on migration and aid to the inner cities would not be totally in line with the conservative majority within the Republican party, but could help Mr Dole to win urban votes.