KUCHING, Oct 23 ― Merger talks between Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) to create the single biggest Dayak party is unlikely to conclude before the state elections due next year, SPDP senior vice president Datuk Paul Igai said today.

Saying the merger must be mutually beneficial, he also expressed hope that the current negotiations will not be abandoned in the same way a previous attempt in 2012 was called on due to “some misunderstanding”.

“We (from SPDP) would like to see the two parties to merge before the elections are held, but I do not think it will happen. Both parties want to be meticulous and systematic in the talks as want to come  to a satisfactory conclusion,” he told Malay Mail Online.

The two parties are scheduled to hold their first meeting by the end of this month.

Igai said the SPDP  delegation to the merger talks will be led by secretary general Anthony Nogeh, who is also the state deputy agriculture and agro-based industries minister, while PRS team will be led by its secretary general Datuk Wilfred Nissom.

Igai, who is also SPDP deputy secretary-general and a political secretary to the Sarawak chief minister, said both SPDP and PRS will not impose any pre-conditions for the merger to take place and that there were many issues to be deliberated.

On August 16, SPDP supreme council adopted a resolution for the party to merge with PRS so to create the biggest Dayak-based political party in Sarawak.

On October 18, PRS supreme council gave approval for the party to hold merger talks with SPDP, without setting any preconditions.

Sarawak is due to hold its state election before June 20 next year.