party

He subsequently formed the MK party and led it to third place in last year's elections.

But the plan is highly controversial in the UK -- one of the few European countries without any ID card and where the idea has long been resisted -- and the main opposition parties are against it.

The family organised search parties, which involved up to 300 people at times in the later stages of their search.

To be sure, the company said it could change its mind should a third party make a bid for Anglo American, or under a few other circumstances.

He said the main goal had been to try to narrow "open items" from the 28-point US plan - and the parties involved had achieved that in a "substantial way".