In South Africa, the opposition InkathaFreedom Party (IFP) has rejected as improper President Jacob Zuma's proposedmerger with the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
The IFP said 'outstanding' issues needs to beresolved before any talks of a merger.
In calling for the merger between theANC and the IFP, President Zuma said the ruling ANC had a duty to unite allSouth Africans. But the opposition IFP described the president's comments asirresponsible.
"Wefelt that it was improper and very much irresponsible for a senior person likehim as the president of the country to go public and talk about things that wehave never been engaged in as leaders, both leaders of different parties," said Zanele Kamagwaza, national chairperson of the Inkatha Freedom party.
Shesaid the IFP believes in multi-party democracy in South Africa.
"Wedo believe in the multi-party democracy, and we don't believe that South Africashould become a one-party state bcause the ANC as a party wants to swallow allthe political opposition parties in South Africa and I don't think that is okayfor democracy in South Africa," she said.
Kamagwazasaid ordinary South Africans should be allowed to choose which party they wouldlike to affiliate with.
"Wewant to provide the people of South Africa with a choice. And I don't thinkthat a democracy means that there should be a one big ruling party in thecountry, because if we do this, we would be disadvantaging the people of SouthAfrica?we need a very strong opposition," Kamagwaza said.
Shesaid the opposition party will work with any party to improve the lives ofordinary South Africans.
"AsIFP, we will work with anyone trying to resolve problems that are there for ourpeople. But that does not mean that we should merge with the ANC," she said.
Kamagwanasaid despite similarities with the ANC, there would not be any merger.
"Thereare so many things we share in common like for instance the support base. Butthat does not mean necessarily that we need to merge with the ANC? we have ourown constitution, we have our own policies, we have our own principles that arefar different from the ANC," Kamagwaza said.
Shealso ruled out future merger with the ruling ANC.
"Merging,we are meaning the IFP should leave its own identity and become the ANC and beswallowed by the ANC. I don't think that in the near future it is possible withus," she said.
Politicalobservers say this is not the first time that Inkatha Freedom Party leader ChiefMangosuthu Buthelezi has rejected a call for unity.
Meanwhile,strong relations between the ANC and IFP became strained after the IFP wasaccused of working with the former apartheid government to oppress black SouthAfricans.