MILF asks gov’t to postpone ARMM election



July 18, 2008



Manila-- Before the peace talks ended yesterday, July 17, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel had asked the Philippine government through its chief peace negotiator, Secretary Rodolfo Garcia, to postpone the forthcoming election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in August 11 in deference to the ongoing GRP-MILF Peace Talks.



The request was relayed by the MILF chief peace negotiator, Mohagher Iqbal, in tandem with their decision to forego with the word “freedom” that finally sealed the marathon talks on ancestral domain. The talks protracted for three years and seven months, which had been interrupted not only by impasses but also by intermittent skirmishes on the ground.

Iqbal pointed out that the ARMM election has direct bearing on the current peace talks, citing the following reasons:

1) Pushing through with the election would create the impression that the government is not really serious in the present talks and President Arroyo is not really determined to wind up the talks during her term of office; and

2) It will postpone the start of the transition period of the future Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) once the government and the MILF sign the Comprehensive Compact because elected local officials of the ARMM will have to finish first their term of office in 2011. Other local officials in the provinces, municipalities or cities purported to be included in the area of the BJE will finish their terms of office in 2010. President Arroyo’s term would end in June 2010.

Atty. Datu Michael Mastura, a senior member of the MILF peace panel, further argued for the need to postpone the ARMM election as a clear manifestation of President Arroyo’s policy of the “primacy of the peace process”.

However, he made it very clear that the MILF is not against the candidacy of anyone in the ARMM especially Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan and Bombet Adiong, currently the regional governor and vice regional governor, respectively.

Secretary Garcia, upon receipt of the request, promised to do his “best efforts” to work for the postponement of the ARMM election.



He also said he would talk to other senior members of the Cabinet, whom he did not identify.