The ruling Lakas and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) political parties will merge in the next 45 days in preparation for the 2010 elections, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Rep. Luis Villafuerte announced Monday in a joint press conference.

"Among other advantages, a single political entity arising out of the merged Lakas-KAMPI parties will allow if not compel administration allies to field single electoral tickets at the local level thus enabling themselves to work for the victory of our national candidates with greater unity and focus. We envision such a merger to be completed within the next 45 days," Nograles told reporters.

Nograles and Villafuerte quit their posts as presidents of their respective parties in order to give President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a free hand to determine the leadership structure of the merged party.

In response, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio "welcomed the pronouncement of Speaker Nograles and Cong. Villafuerte in firm support of the Lakas-KAMPI merger and thank them for their statesmanship in offering their resignations as party presidents in order to facilitate the formal consolidation of the two parties into one."

"It signifies the determination of the two parties to prepare in earnest for next year's polls and achieve victory through a united, nationwide machinery," Claudio said.

He also said that the "joint declaration also provides one of the best guarantees from Congress itself that the elections in 2010 will proceed as scheduled, and there will be no extensions on the terms of incumbent officials." -- report from WILLARD CHENG, ABS-CBN News