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The struggle to unite Alberta’s Wildrose and Progressive Conservative parties offers enough drama, backstabbing and bad actors to make a great reality television series.

The two sides are trying to pretend they get along before separate ratification votes on unification July 22.

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But all is not going smoothly.

Cracks are developing in the united façade, not only between the PCs and the Wildrose, but within the Wildrose itself.

The proposed merger is less like a marriage and more like a tug of war, with some members not sure in which direction to tug.

This week, Wildrose Leader Brian Jean suffered a public beating by his own party’s president, Jeff Callaway.

Callaway was upset over how Jean is naming his own people to four different joint Wildrose-PC committees that will oversee issues such as the rules for the upcoming leadership race (presuming both parties vote for unification).

On Monday, Callaway complained to the Calgary Sun that Jean was gaming the system to give himself an edge.

“We are more than just the Brian Jean party,” said Callaway. “The party exists for the sake of Alberta, not for the sake of the leader.”

Callaway said some members were so upset by Jean’s self-serving manoeuvring they were thinking of voting against the merger.