Lakas, NPC alliance efforts hit snag

Plans to forge a political alliance between the ruling party Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) hit a snag due to conflicts at the local level.

President Arroyo’s campaign spokesman Michael Defensor admitted yesterday that such cases have cropped up, particularly in Cebu where candidates of Lakas and NPC are up against each other.

Defensor said Mrs. Arroyo has taken note of the problem and suggested that an alliance between Lakas and the NPC should be made at the national level.

"We should come up with a national coalition and I think that would also be the template of all agreements of the different coalition partners (of the People Power Coalition)," Defensor pointed out.

"We would rather get the coalition partners together, define our parameters, define our guidelines, and then let it be settled in the local political scene," he said.

Mrs. Arroyo flew to Cebu last Wednesday to witness the signing of a covenant between Lakas and NPC leaders.

But a provision in the proposed covenant, which contained an expression of support for Mrs. Arroyo’s presidential bid for the May 2004 elections, reportedly aborted the signing.

Defensor, however, took exception to the reports and explained the root of the problem was the looming conflict between the two parties at the local level.

He disclosed that Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., as Lakas chairman, had a talk with "top leaders" of the NPC yesterday to thresh out the kinks in the proposed political alliance for the May polls.

"I’m very confident, as they (NPC) have already signified the date for the signing that everything will be finalized by Wednesday next week," Defensor said.