The discussions and signing of the three remaining annexes on normalization, power and wealth sharing considered “most contentious” that would complete the comprehensive peace pact between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) “must be finished before the mid-term elections in May this year”, said Mohagher Iqbal, MILF Peace Panel Chief Negotiator and Chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).
In a press conference held at the Crowne Hotel, Pasig City, Metro Manila after the “first TransCom en banc” meeting, last Wednesday, April 3. Iqbal further said that,” the TransCom cannot craft the Bangsamoro Basic Law unless the annexes are signed.
“We cannot proceed to discuss the substantive issues unless the three remaining annexes will be discussed and signed by the parties,” Iqbal said during the press conference, aired live on ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel).
The two peace panels were supposed to have finished by yearend 2012 the annexes on wealth-sharing, power-sharing, normalization, and transitional arrangements and modalities to complete the comprehensive compact peace agreement. The TransCom, is supposed to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law after the FAB was signed which would govern the Bangsamoro Region, the new political polity that will replace the failed 23-year old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by June 30, 2016. But so far, only the transitional arrangements and modalities had been signed.
Iqbal said the TransCom for now can only attend to organizational matters such as writing the internal rules, organizing the secretariat and the committees “but certainly we cannot discuss the more substantive part of our task unless the annexes are finished”, MindaNews reported.
The panels were supposed to have met in Kuala Lumpur on March 25 to 27 for the 37th Exploratory Talks but only a “special meeting” was held. During that meeting on March 25, GPH peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, formally requested postponements. The panels agreed to hold it next week.
But Iqbal said that he was optimistic the annexes would be finished soon because “we have a partner in government in the person of President Benigno Aquino III as sincere partner in the quest for lasting peace in Mindanao so I am optimistic although I recognize the way ahead is still full of obstacles, that we need to surmount the obstacles along the way” and that it is “not an easy way forward.”
When a reporter asked if the annexes would be signed before the May 13 polls, Iqbal replied: “I believe that it will be signed because there is no other way except to move forward and finish all the annexes.”
“Any other track is not …advisable … so I would like to believe once again that it must be finished before the elections. The three annexes,” he said as quoted by MindaNews.
As agreed by both panels, the peace talks will resume next week at Kuala Lumpur, and hopefully, the annexes on wealth and power sharing shall be completed so that the TransCom can start its arduous task of drafting the Bangsamoro Basic law (BBL).
http://www.luwaran.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3111:gph-milf-annexes-should-be-finished-before-mid-term-elections&catid=31:general&Itemid=41
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