There are few policy differences that could derail the talks starting today to merge the Democratic and New National parties. And if there is a merger of the opposition parties, Tony Leon, the DP leader, will be at its head.
The only real stumbling block - and it's a big one - is the name of the new party.
The DP describes its philosophy as liberal and the NNP calls itself a Christian Democratic party. The main issues of contention for Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the NNP leader, are the death penalty, which he supports, and abortion, which he opposes. Both parties are likely to accept that their members would be allowed a free vote on those two issues in parliament.
With the once-mighty NNP on the ropes from a series of humiliating defections of former cabinet ministers and sitting town councillors, the party this week tried to play its one card - reducing DP representation in the Western Cape cabinet.
That card seems of little value because the DP is prepared to be thrown out of the coalition. It is confident of the gains it will make from disgruntled NNP voters who will not accept the partnership with the ANC the NNP would need to keep the province running.
So what could the new party or alliance call itself?
It is almost impossible to imagine DP rank-and-file members accepting the word "national" in the name, given its association with apartheid.
For the Jewish Leon to lead a party with the name Christian in it is clearly absurd, besides the philosophical objections he and his followers would have to this religious exclusiveness.
Also, the DP treat both Leon and the DP name as brands they have built up carefully over many years, marketing both with the single-mindedness of Madison Avenue advertising executives.
They see them as winning brands, which they are most unlikely to tamper with just before the important local government elections.
That leaves options like New Democratic Party, or Democratic Alliance, the latter appealing to some in both parties who hope to reshape politics into a contest between the ANC and its trade union and communist allies on the one side, and a combined opposition alliance on the other.
Other options that have been considered include the Democratic Federal Party, Democratic Reform Party or Democratic Progressive Party.
There is a second, less serious, stumbling block in finding agreement on positions for the various leaders of either party, but it is likely that Van Schalkwyk and one or two senior members would be given one of the number of titles parties have, including chairperson of the caucus, of the federal executive or of the party, as well as deputy leader.
There is a real possibility that the merger - or is it an acquisition? - will not go through. But if that happens, the NNP faces an unenviable return to square one, with further press conferences by defectors on the cards.
So the options are failure and return to the status quo with continuing humiliation for the NNP but a continuing election battle between the opposition parties, agreement to a DP take-over with some face-saving senior positions, or a break-up leading to a Western Cape alliance with the ANC.
Underlying the fight over the merger are political tensions within the DP over the number of former icons of apartheid the party is absorbing.