Peace advocates express concern on slow progress of negotiations

From the Business World (Jun 5): Peace advocates express concern on slow progress of negotiations

Peace advocates in Mindanao have expressed concern over delays in the peace process as discussions on key points have failed to move.

The Mindanao Peoples Caucus, a coalition that represents civil society in the International Monitoring Team that oversees the ceasefire between the government and Moro rebels, said both parties should hasten the process given the limited time for the creation of the proposed Bangsamoro Region.

"We urge the peace panels to immediately schedule the next round of talks and focus all their energies, time and attention on the completion of the annexes (to the Bangsamoro framework agreement). This should be a priority and must be resolved at the soonest possible time," it said in a statement.

In April, the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said talks on the remaining annexes to complete the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro will resume after the midterm polls last May 13.

"It is almost a month from the midterm elections but up to now, there is still no schedule for the formal resumption of talks. Given the very limited transition road map between now and 2016, any delay in the signing of the Annexes will cause irreversible consequences on the viability of the transition period itself," the Mindanao Peoples Caucus said.

"As primary stakeholders of the peace process in Mindanao, the grassroots communities can only afford to rest once the parties have signed a comprehensive peace agreement.

"No amount of Sajahatra scholarships, skills trainings, livelihood, PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corp.) cards, appointments to government positions and outpouring of donor funds could ever substitute for the urgent need to have a final deal on the annexes," it added.

Chief negotiators of both panels were not immediately available for comment.

Miriam Colonel-Ferrer, the government’s chief negotiator, earlier said her team had hoped to start the exchange of notes last week to hasten the negotiation process.

She maintained there is no delay in the talks, saying the "President and the Cabinet wanted time to review all government commitments laid out in the draft annex in their entirety." 

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=Peace-advocates-express-concern-on-slow-progress-of-negotiations&id=71386