Filtered By: Topstories
News

Lakas-CMD, Kampi merge


MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday expressed confidence that the merger of the Lakas-Christian-Muslim-Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) parties on Wednesday will enable the administration to make a sweep of the 2010 elections. In a speech during the regional caucus of the two parties in Davao City, Mrs. Arroyo even went as far as saying that her successor to the presidency will come from the coalition. "I have no doubt that our candidates in the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) will win the elections, as I have no doubt that our candidates in the next national elections will also win," she said. In the same speech, the President said the merger will promote economic development and will continue the gains of her administration. Mrs. Arroyo also asked her allies to work for the amnesty concurrence to enable the communist and Moro rebels to return to the fold of law. Kampi is the original party of Mrs. Arroyo. While both Lakas-CMD and Kampi are members of the administration coalition, they reportedly regard one another as rivals as both were aiming to become the dominant party in the government. During the 2007 synchronized congressional and local polls, the administration coalition had to declare some areas as neutral zones as these were contested among allies of the President. - BusinessWorld
LOADING CONTENT