MILF sees success of current round of peace talks
Home Updated August 14, 2012 02:01 PM 0 comment to this post
COTABATO CITY, Philippines - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front expressed confidence that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will be converted into an entirely new autonomous political entity, or NAPE under expected forthcoming agreement between the government and MILF peace panels.
Ghadzali Jaafar, the MILF vice chairman for political affairs, said the 14-year peace talks with the national government have been progressing smoothly, particularly with the efforts of both sides to iron out the remaining wealth-and-power sharing topics of the negotiations.
“...I cannot reveal yet bigger details on that because there are communication protocols binding both sides. Surely, the media will know of it sooner or later,” Jaafar told Catholic radio dxMS in a phone interview Tuesday.
The wealth-and-power sharing topics in the GPH-MILF talks are by far the most contentious and negotiators are trying to strike a final peace deal before next year’s synchronized ARMM, local and senatorial elections.
The GPH and MILF panels even agreed, during last week's 30th exploratory talks in Malaysia, to create technical working groups to study the wealth-and-power sharing issues being discussed by both sides, to easily reach a consensus on the agenda.
The government’s chief negotiator, Marvic Leonen, told reporters earlier that he is optimistic they would craft a final peace deal with the MILF before the 20113 polls.
Leonen, however, said it is unlikely for the ARMM’s regional polls next year to be postponed anew in case the GPH and MILF fail to reach a final accord before the conduct of the electoral exercise.
Local peace advocacy outfits are apprehensive an election in the ARMM next year may “hold hostage” any transition in the regional leadership, and the subsequent conversion of the present autonomous regional government into a NAPE.
Elected ARMM officials, under the region’s charter, Republic Act 9054, are mandated to hold office for three years and may not be unseated during their tenure to allow the new political body to take over the regional leadership.
Another issue bothering local officials and peace activists is the implication of any crafting of a final government-MILF peace pact sooner than Malacañang, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Moro National Liberation Front can wrap up their tripartite review of the September 2, 1996 final GPH-MNLF truce.
The parties involved in the three-way effort to enhance the GHP-MNLF peace pact, which started in 2007, already agreed on more than 40 “consensus points” essential to improving the weak provisions of the agreement and in addressing misunderstandings on the implementation of some of its sensitive provisions.
The OIC, a pan-Islamic block of more than 50 Muslim states including wealthy oil-exporting countries in the Middle East and North Africa, helped broker the GPH-MNLF final peace agreement.
The OIC is involved only as an “observer” in the on-going talks between the government and the Aquino administration.
The chairman of the largest of three groups in the MNLF, Cotabato City Vice-Mayor Muslimin Sema, said they are open to the idea of a dialogue with the MILF and representatives from Malacañang about the government's separate overtures with the two Moro fronts.
“This we can willingly do, without hesitation, because we’re not at war with the MILF. The MILF and the MNLF have one objective, that of pushing forward and upholding the good of the Bangsamoro people,” Sema said.
Sema said the 40 “consensus points” reached by the OIC, the MNLF, and the national government are also centered on governance, wealth-and-power sharing, natural resources, education, sharia, and regional security, which the government and MILF panels have also been trying to “package” into a peace agreement.
The acting governor of ARMM, Mujiv Hataman, said he and all his constituent-caretakers of the region support the peace effots.
“We in the ARMM government will never be stumbling blocks to the attainment of lasting peace and sustainable development in Mindanao’s Muslim communities, under whatever governing mechanism acceptable to the two fronts and all sectors in the present autonomous region. We are here in the ARMM to help introduce reforms, in fact,” Hataman said.
Hataman represents the ARMM government in the GPH-MILF talks. - John Unson
COTABATO CITY, Philippines - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front expressed confidence that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will be converted into an entirely new autonomous political entity, or NAPE under expected forthcoming agreement between the government and MILF peace panels.
Ghadzali Jaafar, the MILF vice chairman for political affairs, said the 14-year peace talks with the national government have been progressing smoothly, particularly with the efforts of both sides to iron out the remaining wealth-and-power sharing topics of the negotiations.
“...I cannot reveal yet bigger details on that because there are communication protocols binding both sides. Surely, the media will know of it sooner or later,” Jaafar told Catholic radio dxMS in a phone interview Tuesday.
The wealth-and-power sharing topics in the GPH-MILF talks are by far the most contentious and negotiators are trying to strike a final peace deal before next year’s synchronized ARMM, local and senatorial elections.
The GPH and MILF panels even agreed, during last week's 30th exploratory talks in Malaysia, to create technical working groups to study the wealth-and-power sharing issues being discussed by both sides, to easily reach a consensus on the agenda.
The government’s chief negotiator, Marvic Leonen, told reporters earlier that he is optimistic they would craft a final peace deal with the MILF before the 20113 polls.
Leonen, however, said it is unlikely for the ARMM’s regional polls next year to be postponed anew in case the GPH and MILF fail to reach a final accord before the conduct of the electoral exercise.
Local peace advocacy outfits are apprehensive an election in the ARMM next year may “hold hostage” any transition in the regional leadership, and the subsequent conversion of the present autonomous regional government into a NAPE.
Elected ARMM officials, under the region’s charter, Republic Act 9054, are mandated to hold office for three years and may not be unseated during their tenure to allow the new political body to take over the regional leadership.
Another issue bothering local officials and peace activists is the implication of any crafting of a final government-MILF peace pact sooner than Malacañang, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Moro National Liberation Front can wrap up their tripartite review of the September 2, 1996 final GPH-MNLF truce.
The parties involved in the three-way effort to enhance the GHP-MNLF peace pact, which started in 2007, already agreed on more than 40 “consensus points” essential to improving the weak provisions of the agreement and in addressing misunderstandings on the implementation of some of its sensitive provisions.
The OIC, a pan-Islamic block of more than 50 Muslim states including wealthy oil-exporting countries in the Middle East and North Africa, helped broker the GPH-MNLF final peace agreement.
The OIC is involved only as an “observer” in the on-going talks between the government and the Aquino administration.
The chairman of the largest of three groups in the MNLF, Cotabato City Vice-Mayor Muslimin Sema, said they are open to the idea of a dialogue with the MILF and representatives from Malacañang about the government's separate overtures with the two Moro fronts.
“This we can willingly do, without hesitation, because we’re not at war with the MILF. The MILF and the MNLF have one objective, that of pushing forward and upholding the good of the Bangsamoro people,” Sema said.
Sema said the 40 “consensus points” reached by the OIC, the MNLF, and the national government are also centered on governance, wealth-and-power sharing, natural resources, education, sharia, and regional security, which the government and MILF panels have also been trying to “package” into a peace agreement.
The acting governor of ARMM, Mujiv Hataman, said he and all his constituent-caretakers of the region support the peace effots.
“We in the ARMM government will never be stumbling blocks to the attainment of lasting peace and sustainable development in Mindanao’s Muslim communities, under whatever governing mechanism acceptable to the two fronts and all sectors in the present autonomous region. We are here in the ARMM to help introduce reforms, in fact,” Hataman said.
Hataman represents the ARMM government in the GPH-MILF talks. - John Unson
No comments:
Post a Comment