A former politician has suggested that the opposition contest in the coming general election as a coalition rather than individual parties to resolve the problem of seat allocation.

Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi, who is World Enterprise Institute (WEI) executive director, said as long as the opposition continues with its bickering over seats, nobody will take them seriously as a possible alternative.

WEI is a Kuala Lumpur-based research institute which aims to be at the forefront of the debate on the challenges of global change and in the development of leaders for future enterprises.

"You have to convince people that you can form a government and rule," said Nungsari, who had won the Balik Pulau parliamentary seat under Umno in 1995.

"The issues will have to be "larger", and so is the appeal. Firstly, you must solve "domestic" issues - this coalition thing and seat allocation," he added.

The disagreement between DAP and Keadilan over the principles of seat negotiation is widely seen as a prelude to the opposition's poor performance in the coming general election.

Keadilan, who are partners with PAS and PRM in Barisan Alternatif, wants the negotiations to be settled at the state level, while DAP, who left BA in 2001 due to the Islamic state issue, prefers a national level decision.

An opposition leader, who declined to be named, described the duo's attitude towards the current negotiation process as a "clandestine love affair" between two partners.

"They want to sleep together but do not want to get married," he said, expressing frustration at the present tussle between the two parties.

"They want a silent understanding that both would not contest in each other's traditional seats. They are not even talking about an election pact anymore," he added.

His frustration is being shared by Keadilan top leaders who recently lamented that the DAP has been unwilling to accept negotiation starting at branch level.

The party's vice-president Azmin Ali said Keadilan has given state leaders the go-ahead to decide as it wanted its grassroots to participate in the decision-making process.

He had also given state leaders a deadline to talk to DAP and iron things out by July 30.

Azmin, who is Hulu Kelang state assembly representative, reasoned that state leaders have better understanding of situations on the ground, so they should be allowed to make the decisions.

But DAP leaders are adamant that this sort of decision should be made only at the national level, who consist of DAP national publicity chief Ronnie Liu, central executive member and Seputeh member of Parliament Teresa Kok and Youth wing secretary Loke Siew Fook.

Keadilan is represented by vice-president Dr A Xavier Jayakumar, supreme council member Khalid Jaafar and deputy Youth chief Low Chee Cheung.

Penang state DAP leader Chow Kon Yeow, when contacted, maintained that only the national committee, who has met with its opposition counterpart twice so far, is qualified to decide on issues of seat allocation.

"We have made proposals to the national committee and it is up to them to decide. Of course, ultimately, the state gives some input but until then, it is up to the national leaders to make the final decision" he told malaysiakini.

Chow, who is Tanjung member of Parliament, said he had met with state Keadilan chief Dr Mansor Othman on two occasions to "catch up on things", not so much to talk about seat allocation.

However, like most DAP leaders, Chow declined to comment further on the matter, saying "the less I talk about it, the better".

"This is because we are dealing with many factors like human emotions," he added.

However, a top DAP leader, who requested anonymity, said the real reason behind the principle to allow decisions to be made at national level is to prevent "unnecessary bickering in the media".

"Imagine if all state leaders start to make comments about the matter in the press, it would be disastrous," he said.

Indeed, if the two parties continue to disagree on this fundamental issue in the negotiation process, the possibility of three-cornered fights, which would eventually benefit their arch rival, the ruling Barisan Nasional, would become a reality.

Already there are signs that the two parties would continue to be at war over seats. Despite a few meetings, Perak Keadilan leaders are insisting they want to contest in seats the DAP has set its

Perak Keadilan deputy chief Dr Lee Boon Chye said that the party was planning to write formally to DAP to discuss the issue as several meetings held had not resulted in anything concrete.

"Both sides must be sincere and not be opportunistic. If MCA Team A and Team B can reunite, why not us?," he said.

When Dr Lee initially expressed Keadilan's desire to contest in the much sought after Kinta Valley constituencies, state DAP leader Nga Kor Ming was upset.

Nga, who is DAP Socialist Youth chief, warned that the party may send its candidates to contest in areas currently held by Keadilan, such as Permatang Pauh, whose member of Parliament is the party's president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

"They are most welcomed to do so. It's their democratic right to contest wherever they think is most appropriate," was Dr Lee's curt reply to Nga's suggestion.