Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) will not be able to pursue its proposed merger with the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) until it sorts out its leadership tussle.

SPDP president William Mawan said over the weekend that the central executive committee had decision to put off any talks "for the time being, as the authority in PRS in blurred" because of the ongoing dispute.

As there are now two factions within PRS, it would be difficult for SPDP to recognise which of these has real authority - and to deal with only with one faction would be interpreted as taking sides or interference, he said.

The state Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership has adopted a stance of non-interference in PRS, formed less than two years ago following the de-registration of its 'parent' party Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak which itself was embroiled in a protracted leadership dispute.

Before the May 20 state elections, PRS had formed a merger-talks committee headed by deputy president Sng Chee Hua. But it has not met - let alone held talks - leading some in PRS to accuse Sng of dragging his feet in the matter.

After the elections, PRS president Dr James Masing called his own supreme council meeting and formed a committee with himself as chairperson to take the merger talks forward with his SPDP counterpart.

The SPDP decision to put off talks will be a blow to the Masing faction, which is keen on the merger to bring about greater Dayak political consolidation. It sees the Sng faction as the stumbling block to this move.

'Wait for ROS reply'

Contacted today, Masing described SPDP's decision as "appropriate" until PRS has sorted out its problems.

Sng, acting president since Masing was censured last month for allegedly working against BN interests in the last state elections, said he had no comment on Mawan's statement.

He would only say that he was waiting for the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to respond to complaints lodged against Masing for allegedly acting against the constitution in removing the party's principal office-bearers and replacing them with his own men in order to secure his position in the supreme council.

"How can he ignore the party constitution and do whatever he wants? Let's wait for the ROS reply which should come this week," he said when contacted.

PRS has 11 elected representatives with at least eight said to be supporting Masing.

The Sng faction has called an extraordinary delegates conference in Kuching on Sept 9 to elect a president.