Lakas spokesman Prospero Pichay sees some difficulties in merging the ruling parties Lakas and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI)  despite President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's merger order Thursday morning.

Pichay cites personal differences at the local level and the ease of coalescing with smaller parties as among the reasons.

Pichay disagrees with observations that they need to come out with a candidate now to strengthen the party since there is a chance the candidate will be
forgotten by 2010.

However, he sees an 80% chance the merger will happen since President Arroyo wants it and Lakas chair-emeritus Fidel V. Ramos isn't against it.

Pichay, however, says a failure of the merger will not mean a loss for them.

He says it just means they won't win by a landslide. Pichay hopes Mrs. Arroyo will send a stronger statement to KAMPI since it's KAMPI who is against the merger.

Pichay says they are looking at homegrown talents for their presidential candidate.

He says while Vice President Noli de Castro isn't a Lakas member, he ran for vice president under the Lakas banner, and he expects him to join them should he run for president.