Party merger gets FVR blessing

MANILA, Philippines – All’s well that ends well – according to Malacañang.

After nearly four hours of chatting and “reminiscing” over a bottle of cognac and mixed nuts with two top Palace officials, former President Fidel Ramos finally gave his blessings – with conditions – to the merger of President Arroyo’s Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) and the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), which he founded in 1992.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio visited Ramos at his home in Ayala Alabang on Saturday to secure the former leader’s support for the merger that he slammed a day after Mrs. Arroyo formally launched the Lakas-Kampi-CMD on Thursday.

Mrs. Arroyo now chairs the merged party.

“He (Ramos) extended his congratulations for the conclusion of the merger,” Claudio said. “FVR expressed no objections or reservations whatsoever about his assumption as chairman emeritus of the merged party as unanimously endorsed and approved by all its members.”

He described the meeting, which began at 5 p.m. and ended at almost 9 p.m., as “very cordial, jovial but substantial.”

“In the process, we finished one bottle of Henessy XO,” Claudio said.

Ermita said the former leader was just wearing a polo shirt and shorts during their meeting at his library.

“He (Ramos) was in high spirits and he called us ‘good-looking guys’ so I knew he would be receptive to our explanations,” Ermita said in a telephone interview.

The executive secretary said he carried with him a message from the President, who is currently in South Korea for an official visit, that the merger was done in accordance with bylaws of Lakas.

After the meeting, the former leader saw them off at his driveway.

Claudio said that aside from the merger, they talked about various issues, including the economy, the bureaucracy, the aspiring presidential candidates in the administration and the opposition as well as economic matters and foreign affairs.

Ramos also pointed out that it was Lakas that rallied behind Mrs. Arroyo during her political crisis in 2005 where the so-called “Hyatt 10” Cabinet officials resigned and called for her resignation.

Claudio clarified that there was no rush or “undue haste” as Ramos described the merger process and that the former leader was given regular updates by the organizers.

“I apologized (to Ramos) for some coordinative lapses, owing mostly to President Ramos being abroad for two weeks immediately preceding the merger convention,” he said, adding there was a rush in the “caucuses and other preparations” for the merger.

Ramos pushed for amendments of the constitution and bylaws of the new party that would be helped by more consultations among members even after the merger.

The amendments should include explicit provisions on Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s links with international groups, particularly the Centrist Democrats International (CDI).

The former president also said that the constitution and bylaws should be more detailed on the “pooling of resources” of the two parties, and be reflective of the ideology and traditions of Lakas and Kampi, Claudio said.

He said that upon Ramos’ instructions, the merged party would immediately inform the CDI leadership, now based in Madrid, of the merger.

“I assured him that (amendments) that would not be a problem,” Claudio said.

He said he already informed Mrs. Arroyo of the details of the meeting, adding that there are no scheduled talks yet between the President and Ramos but the two leaders are expected to meet during the meeting of the national executive committee of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD later this month where the amendments to the constitution and bylaws would be hammered out.