Secessionists launch political party

From the Manila Standard Today (Dec 27): Secessionists launch political party

THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front said it finally launched its political party on Dec. 24 in its main camp in Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao with more than 110,000 registered volunteers over the three-day assembly that gathered supporters from mainland Mindanao and the island provinces.

Called the United Bangsamoro Justice Party, the regional mass-based party will serve as the front’s vehicle for participation in the elections that will be held for the establishment of the Bangsamoro government, the MILF said.

Sammy Almansoor, UBJP secretary-general, said the “UBJP will promote the interests of the Bangsamoro, particularly those that have not been achieved in the armed struggle.”

The “First Volunteers General Assembly” is, among others, preparatory to an official accreditation of the party by the Commission on Elections.

“We have to show the COMELEC that we have followers,” said Almansoor who is also the chief of staff of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces.

Almansoor hailed the huge crowd of green-clad volunteers whom he described as the backbone of the new political party and critical for the success of the UBJP.

In explaining why the MILF is forming a political party, Almansoor said the UBJP will be a mechanism for transforming itself from a revolutionary movement to a political party that will engage in parliamentary struggle.

MILF Chief Negotiator Mohagher Iqbal admitted that the MILF has no experience in party formation over its past 42 years of armed struggle, and that the UBJP is an “entirely new horizon, a new struggle.”

“We know that politics can sometimes be divisive, but we hope that our establishment of a genuinely-principled political party will humanize the system,” said Iqbal who is also UBJP vice-president for Southern Mindanao.

Iqbal said the UBJP will be “owned, managed and led by the Bangsamoro people.”
“We have to face the challenge of transforming our bullets into ballots,” he said.
Several sectors aired their support to the creation of the UBJP.

A representative from the professionals appealed to the leadership of the nascent party that it must “continue the unfinished agenda of the  MILF and Bangsamoro.”

Mary Ann Arnado of the Mindanao People’s Caucus expressed hope that the party will usher in a “new form of politics.”

Abhoud Syed Lingga of the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies appealed to the party volunteers to register now and vote along party-lines in the anticipated referendum for the Bangsamoro Basic Law so that “this assembly would not be meaningless.”

Statements of support were also made by the ulama, business, women, indigenous peoples, youth, farmers, the academe, labor, transport, overseas workers, senior citizens and traditional leaders.

Several incumbent and previously elected politicians, like Gerry Salapuddin of Basilan and Benjamin Loong of Sulu, also graced the opening rites of the assembly that will culminate in the afternoon of Dec. 25.

Ustadz Khalifa Nando of the MILF Supreme Shariah Court administered the oath of office of the party officials in the closing program of the assembly.

The leadership of the party will be composed of the following:



President: Alhaj Murad Ebrahim

VP Western Mindanao: Mahmour Estino

VP Northern Mindanao: Aleem Ali Solaiman

VP Central Mindanao: Ghadzali Jaafar

VP Southern Mindanao: Mohagher Iqbal



VP Eastern Mindanao: Hussein Munoz

Secretary-General: Sammy Almansoor

The provincial executive officers for Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Davao Oriental are also expected to be sworn in as party officials.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/12/27/secessionists-launch-political-party/