name, Partido Nacional Progresista and launched a campaign to win seats in provinces around Manila. The nationalist-leaning groups launched negotiations to present a unified slate in the elections; Meanwhile, Palma insisted on having the word "Immediata" (immediate) to the party name of the proposed merger of the Union Nacionalistas and the Independistas. On March 12, 1907, the Union Nacionalista and the Independistas merged to form the Partido Nacionalista. While the Nacionalistas will have a rotating leadership, the manner of selection of the candidates was a source of major dispute and the party convention at the Manila Grand Opera House ended in disarray. The Progresistas, on the other hand, dropped Federal from the party name seeing that the word had outlived its usefulness and had changed their name to Partido Nacional Progresista (National Progressive Party). Campaign While the Nacionalistas were in disarray, the Progresistas orchestrated a well-organized "popular assembly". The Progresistas established networks on local strongmen on already associated with the Nacionalistas; however, they were only able to field candidates in half of the districts in Central and southwestern Luzon. The Progresistas were unable to recruit supporters even in places were a Progresista is in office, save for Tarlac. In Manila, the Progresistas resorted to encouraging Americans to register and vote for them. However, the Federalistas were able to field in candidates in far-flung areas in Visayas and Mindanao. While the Progresistas were having a hard time on increasing their ranks, they instead relied on a strategy that will ensure the defeat of Nacionalistas candidates that will oppose Progresista policies. The Nacionalistas split their ranks when Guerrero and Lukban, members of the old Independista group were dropped from the ticket in favor of Dominador Gomez and Felipe del Pan. Quezon, brokered a deal that set a party convention that will settle candidacies but it was never convened; Gomez and del Pan remain the official candidates for the "regular" Nacionalistas. Guerrero and Lukban ultimately set up the Liga Nacional Independecia whose sole purpose is to contest 1907 elections. The Progresistas led by Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, on the other hand, opposed "immediate" independence. The reception at Progresista political rallies were from lukewarm to hostile, with people heckling "Hang them, kill them". On election day, the Partido Nacionalista, with its national organization in disarray, was able to field a candidate in 68 of the 80 districts. Results Votes by province Aftermath While the