MILF presses talks, ‘dedma’ on Sabah

From Malaya (Mar 13): MILF presses talks, ‘dedma’ on Sabah

PEACE talks between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the government would resume next week in Kuala Lumpur despite the conflict between Filipino Muslims and Malaysian forces in Sabah.

“As far as we are concerned, it will resume as scheduled, on the third week of March,” said MILF spokesman Mohagher Iqbal of the peace negotiations which are being brokered by the Malaysian government.

Iqbal would not disclose the exact date of the resumption of the talks. The last round of talks was held also in Malaysia from February 25 to 27, a few days before the fighting in Sabah broke out.

Iqbal said the ongoing conflict in Sabah should not affect the peace negotiations, noting that both the Malaysian and Philippines governments “are trying to resolve the issue as soon as possible.”

“Why should we complicate this issue (peace talks) when that (Sabah) is another issue?...We believe this (talks) should push through. Otherwise, there will be a complication,” he said.

Iqbal would not comment on the Sabah dispute, saying “that’s complicated.”

He added, “We have a no-comment policy (on the Sabah issue).”

To be discussed in the next round of talks are annexes on power and wealth sharing and normalization, which are being drafted in addition to the framework agreement signed by both sides last October.

The framework agreement and the annexes will make up the final peace agreement that will pave the way for the establishment of a new political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao created by the 1996 peace agreement between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front.

Iqbal said wealth and power sharing have already been discussed in the last round of talks. He said wealth sharing is “practically settled…but it has yet to be signed and subject of review.”

Iqbal would not give the details of the wealth-sharing agreement, pending a final agreement.
“As to the power sharing, it’s almost settled though there are some points that are hard to be resolved,” he said.

Iqbal said there is no timeframe as to when the two peace panels will complete the annexes of the framework agreement “but we have to fast track it because we are running out of time.”

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said there is no reason to replace Malaysia as third party facilitator in the peace negotiations with the MILF because Malaysia had been helpful and “we’re close to an agreement.”

Lacierda said a peace agreement would benefit not just the MILF but the whole of Mindanao, including the Kirams whose followers are holed out in Sabah and the MNLF.

Lacierda dismissed the opinion of former peace adviser Jesus Dureza that Malaysia’s role as peace facilitator has been “blown to pieces” because of the violent operations it launched against Filipinos in Sabah.

“Last time I checked, Jess Dureza was not the peace negotiator for the successful framework agreement…Where are we right now in our framework agreement? We only have two-and-a-half issues of the annexes. The framework agreement has been crafted, agreed upon,” he said.

He added that the incident in Sabah affects mostly members and supporters of the Sultanate of Sulu while “the framework agreement is bigger than the Sabah standoff.”

http://malaya.com.ph/index.php/news/nation/26475-milf-presses-talks-dedma-on-sabah