Reg’l political party for 2016 Bangsamoro polls created

From GMA News (Nov 28): Reg’l political party for 2016 Bangsamoro polls created

While Congress is still deliberating on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberaration Front (MILF) has created a new political party for the anticipated elections in the region in 2016.

In a chance interview Friday, MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal said the MILF leadership has formed the Bangsamoro Justice Party (BJP), a regional political party for those aspiring to have seats in the Bangsamoro government, which will be created upon the passage of the BBL in Congress and its ratification through a plebiscite.

Iqbal said the MILF is now in the process of registering the party with the Commission on Elections.

“It's being registered right now. There has been a lot of engagements towards creating a truly political party that is principled. It has been a difficult process. But we are now in the process of registration,” he said.

According to the draft BBL as contained in House Bill 4994, a Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) will serve as the interim government of the region for one year upon the BBL's ratification through a plebiscite. Afterwhich, all powers will be transferred to the Bangsamoro government, officials of which will be voted by the people of the region in 2016 elections.

The new Bangsamoro entity is set to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Interested politicians

Iqbal said that as early as now, several local politicians have expressed intention to be part of the MILF's party. “There are feelers, from local politicians but I cannot disclose their names,” he said.

He also clarified that the BJP will not be affiliated with any national political party.

Asked if the BJP would be open in accepting members from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) or any other individuals outside the MILF, Iqbal replied, “Yes. On the condition that they will subscribe with the vision-mission and basic principles of the party.”

Iqbal said the MNLF might also form their own political party as the draft BBL does not limit to the MILF the leadership of the soon-to-be created Bangsamoro government.

“Well, they are welcome to join us. Otherwise, they will form their own political party and when it comes to forming the (Bangsamoro) government we can coalesce with them,” Iqbal said.

Iqbal also said several MILF leaders including himself and chairman Al Haj Murad have no intention of running for Bangsamoro government office in 2016.

“Personally, I do not want to join in the local elections. Politics is last in our mind, 'our' because I think, that's the organizational line of thinking. I think he (Murad) would be last person to be interested in running for a political party,” he said.

Bangsamoro Transition Authority

Meanwhile, Iqbal said the MILF leadership has not yet decided on the composition of the BTA, which will govern the Bangsamoro territory for one year pending the creation of the Bangsamoro government.

“There is a current series of dicussions in the MILF leadership, because there are three ways of constituting the BTA – it can be all MILF leaders which is not pragmatic, which is not fair; it can be partly MILF leadership, partly from outsiders; or it can be that only the head would come from the MILF and then the rest would come from various civil societies. There has been no decision yet by the MILF leadership,” Iqbal said.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/390222/news/nation/reg-l-political-party-for-2016-bangsamoro-polls-created