OPPOSITION GROUPS URGED TO HOLD UNIFICATION CONVENTION
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. (PDP-Laban) today urged various
opposition groups to hold a national convention as part of the steps to
unify their forces and to field a common presidential candidate in the 2010
elections.
Pimentel, chairman of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, said
the holding of a national unification convention is one of the practical
ways by which the opposition parties can choose a single standard bearer in
a most democratic, fair and transparent manner.
He said the opposition is fortunate to have a stable of bankable
presidential aspirants. But he said it could also be a curse to them if they
will fight each other, instead of joining forces to defeat their common foe
– the party in power and its presidential candidate.
“There are so many opposition leaders aspiring to be president in the
opposition camp. But political realities make it imperative for the
opposition to choose and support only one common candidate of the
opposition. The others have to give way and sacrifice their political
ambition. Otherwise, they are courting electoral defeat,” the senator from
Mindanao said.
The opposition’s presidential hopefuls include former President Joseph
Estrada (Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino), Senators Manuel Villar (Nacionalista
Party), Loren Legarda and Francis Escudero (Nationalist People’s Coalition),
Mar Roxas (Liberal Party) and Panfilo Lacson and Makati City Mayor Jejomar
Binay (PDP-Laban).
Pimentel said he is proposing that each of the presidential contenders in
the opposition will be allowed to nominate an equal number of delegates to
the convention, to be nominated by their respective parties and the
aspirants themselves.
During the convention, all the presidential aspirants will be requested to
address the delegates and present their platforms of government. The
delegates will then cast their votes through secret balloting. Whoever will
get the highest number of votes will be proclaimed winner and official
presidential bet of the united opposition.
Pimentel said the leaders various parties, together with the presidential
aspirants, should meet as early as possible to draw up the rules and
mechanics of the selection process and to make preparations for the national
unification convention.
He lauded the initiative of Mr. Estrada in taking steps to unify the
opposition forces and persuading the aspirants to agree on one common
standard bearer.
Date: April 14, 2009
Ref: Omeng Maglangit / (02) 5526733 |
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