DAP has decided to resume the on-and-off seat allocation talks with former ally Keadilan in view of the impending general election, said its secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock today.

The party however imposed a condition that such talks can only proceed if all parties agree not to make any public comments on the negotiations.

"In view of the fact that the general election is strongly speculated to be held soon, the DAP central committee decided to resume talks with Keadilan with the understanding and assurance that henceforth, there must not be any public comments on the subject of negotiations or about the details of the discussion," Kerk said in a statement.

He stressed that the seat negotiations between the DAP and Keadilan must be conducted in the "same professional manner" to how the Barisan Alternatif conducted such negotiations prior to the 1999 general elections.

DAP was once part of the opposition Barisan Alternatif coalition comprising PAS, Keadilan and Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM). However, they left the coalition in protest against PAS' insistence on establishing an Islamic state.

Frustrating

The troubled seat talks between the two parties have been put on hold since last August following news reports quoting Keadilan leaders which allegedly put DAP in a bad light.

Kerk said that his party found it frustrating that in their efforts to revive the talks between the two opposition parties, Keadilan leaders have failed to uphold their private promises not to leak details in public.

"It is this kind of assuring us one thing in private and saying other things in public, which has delayed or thwarted the efforts to successfully revive the seat talks," he added.

Kerk revealed that despite "unprofessional practices" such as persistent leaks on discussion details and "unjustified and unwarranted attacks" on the DAP, they are still willing to negotiate with Keadilan.

He strenuously defended his party against accusations that DAP was unwilling to resume talks with Keadilan.

Kerk said that he had a number of meetings with Keadilan president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail since the talks broke down.

"DAP has never avoided any meeting or prevented any efforts to try to resume the seat negotiations," he said.

This new development broke a six-month silence by DAP over seat negotiation with Keadilan. On the other hand, Barisan Alternatif allies PAS and Keadilan have announced that their seat negotiation process was almost complete.

Important factor

In a immediate reaction, Keadilan vice-president Dr Xavier Jeyakumar welcomed the announcement, saying that the party "had always been ready to talk to the DAP".

Xavier said the rakyat had been anxious for such a move as Opposition unity was an important factor in the elections.

"We can be as discreet as ever. The most important thing here is to ensure that there is an understanding between DAP and Keadilan," he said.

However, Xavier stressed that the two teams must be able to make decisions without any further delay.

He said that Keadilan would proposed a term of reference so that both parties can continue to negotiate effectively.