Taiwan's leading opposition party and a smaller political group agreed yesterday to cooperate in fielding a common list of candidates for the island's "legislative" elections later this year.

Kuomintang Chairman Ma Ying-jeo and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong signed the agreement after a satellite video conference linking Soong, who is currently in the United States, with the parties in Taiwan.

The agreement comes 19 months after the adoption of a measure that presents grave challenges for smaller parties seeking "legislative" representation.

The number of seats in the "legislature" will be slashed from 225 to 113 and constituencies will elect only two members one directly by voters, and one chosen proportionally according to party affiliation rather than the multiple members they chose in the past.

The PFP was expected to be a big loser under the new arrangement.

The two parties agreed to work jointly in nominating the most promising candidates for the elections, the agreement says. They will also make proposals for key topics of discussion and strive to work for the election of the Taiwan leader in 2008, it says.

(China Daily January 23, 2007)