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Yesterday, talks about merging with Lakas-Christian
Muslim Democrats. Tomorrow, a possible partnership with China’s
Communist Party.
The political party founded by
President Gloria Arroyo, the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi),
announced Wednesday that it has entered into a series of dialogues
with the Communist Party of China to explore the possibility of
forging a bilateral partnership with one of the world’s largest
political parties.
At the Lakas National Directorate
meeting Monday, resolutions were passed that paved the way for a
possible merger with Kampi, now in coalition with the ruling party,
Lakas. The members believe the merger will create a political
powerhouse for the next national elections in 2010.
China’s Communist Party has
invited Kampi for talks, and Secretary Ronaldo Puno of the
Department of the Interior and Local Government—also party
chairman—will lead a delegation to the mainland in two months,
according to a press statement.
Puno made the announcement after
a meeting with a delegation from the Communist Party of China led by
Liu Hongcai, the vice-minister of the International Department of
the party’s Central Committee, the statement said.
Ai Ping, director general of the
Asian Bureau of the Central Committee’s International Department,
and Zhang Xuyi and Rao HuiHua, both directors of the Asian Bureau of
the department, also joined the meeting.
Also present at the meeting were
Chang Jiuging, the secretary to the vice-minister, and Dai Yuanyuan,
the interpreter of the Asian Bureau of the International Department.
“Kampi is now a large party, so
it’s time that we start expanding our networks in the
international community to forge and strengthen ties with other
political groupings in the world,” Puno said in the statement.
“We are dealing here with
party-to-party issues, not government-to-government dialogues,” he
added.
Puno said Kampi has long
anticipated the visit of the Communist Party delegation, which has
also made the rounds of other political parties in the country.
During the meeting, he affirmed
Kampi’s commitment to strengthen relations with China’s sole
political party, and forge a mutually beneficial agreement between
the two parties.
Liu expressed confidence that
Kampi and the Communist Party would soon enter into a formal
arrangement promoting bilateral relations between the two parties.
Puno said Kampi is also looking
forward to its merger with Lakas-CMD, although several issues have
yet to be settled between the two parties.
“Personally, I’m in favor of
a merger with Lakas,” Puno said. “President [Gloria] Arroyo has
already affirmed her desire for this merger so that we can come out
as the strongest political party by 2010.”
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