OIC welcomes MNLF’s effort to push federalism

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 31): OIC welcomes MNLF’s effort to push federalism

The leader of the influential 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the decision of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to defer the submission of another Bangsamoro law and instead will push for a change in current system of the government to federalism.

In a statement issued Monday, OIC Secretary General Dr. Youssef Al Othaimeen lauded the “cooperative and accommodating position declared by the Moro front last July 19 that it will no longer submit a draft new autonomy law to avoid complications and it will contribute directly to the fast tracking of federalism.”

Randolph Parcasio, peace panel chair of the MNLF’s Nur Misuari faction, said earlier that they have decided to instead focused their effort to help the Duterte administration to rewrite the constitution following series of meetings with the national government.

Parcasio said the MNLF-Misuari faction will incorporate all the provisions of the peace deals with the government along with the results of the nine-year-old tripartite review process for the creation of a new Bangsamoro autonomy government here in Mindanao.

The move is in parallel with the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which was drafted and submitted last month to President Duterte by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).

The new version of the BBL was crafted by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), MNLF-Yusoph Jikiri faction, and the representatives of the government.

The BBL is part of the implementation process under the peace deal between the government and the MILF. The bill aims at creating a new Bangsamoro region with a parliamentary-form of government.

The new set-up will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).

Under the present peace agenda of the Duterte administration, the MILF and MNLF-Misuari faction would come up with a separate documents that will serve as the foundation of a new Bangsamoro government.

The move was made after Misuari, the MNLF founding-chairperson, declined to be part of the BTC.

Misuari, who is facing several criminal charges for his alleged involvement in the 2013 Zamboanga siege, has remained at odds with the MILF leadership after its founding members broke away with the MNLF.

Othaimeen said it is the desire of the OIC to help the Moro fronts in the Philippines to harmonize their differences through the creation of the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF).

He said they convened key members of the BCF in the middle of this month at the sideline of the 44th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) to advance the welfare of the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao.

Ambassador Sayed El-Masry, OIC special envoy for peace in the southern Philippines, said among the agenda of the meeting are the prospects of the peace process after one year of the Duterte administration and its new approach towards the Bangsamoro question; the convergence of the two peace tracks without sacrificing any of the commitments and obligations contained in all peace agreements; and, the principles guiding enlargement of the BCF and the current situation in Marawi.

“The meeting was acquainted with the contents of the new Bangsamoro Basic Law, in particular, its approach regarding the remaining three contentious issues, I.e. territories, referendum and strategic minerals,” the OIC said.

It said the BCF members “noted in particular that the opt-in clause at the new proposal included the territories as stipulated in the 1976 Tripoli Agreement and the 1996 Final Peace Agreement, and it further welcomed the adoption of the Co-management clause as agreed upon during the Tripartite talks.”

The OIC said they will continue to assist the BCF as part of it efforts to “close ranks between the Moro liberation fronts and to help in the process of merging the two peace tracks and to consolidate realization of the inalienable rights of the Muslim minority in southern Philippines for a peaceful, just and durable settlement of their problem.”

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1003861