Talks between gov’t, MILF in Malaysia hit impasse

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The three-day 34th exploratory talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Malaysia ended without a closing program and a traditional joint communiqué, sparking speculations of an impasse in the negotiations.

The Malaysian facilitator of the government-MILF talks, Dato Tengku Ab’ Ghaafar bin Mohamed, adjourned the session at 7:30 p.m. Saturday without announcing the date of the next round of talks.

The MILF website, www.luwaran.net, said its peace panel did not push for a joint statement and set the date of the next round of talks.

The group said both sides did not have any agreement or consensus worth mentioning in a joint statement, which the two panels traditionally sign during the closing of every round of formal talks in Malaysia.

The MILF emphasized, however, that both parties have achieved “tremendous gains” on the crafting of the four annexes to the Oct. 15 framework agreement on Bangsamoro – power sharing, wealth sharing, modalities and arrangements, and normalization.

The power-sharing annex is now 95 percent settled, while the wealth-sharing topic is 60 percent complete, the MILF said.

The modalities and arrangement issue is likewise 99 percent addressed.

Government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said at the end of the talks last Saturday that “it was a very rigorous process with hard and exhaustive discussions but we are pleased to note that the government-MILF table has found common language on many of the remaining issues.”

Muhaquer Iqbal, the MILF’s chief negotiator, was said to have warned the government panel on altering the agreed leadership set-up for the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) in one of the meetings during the latest round of talks.

The MILF wants to lead the BTA, which will oversee the setting up of a new political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The MILF’s website has insinuated that the government wanted the “Bangsamoro,” meaning confluence of different Moro sectors, including the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), to comprise the BTA.

‘Impasse not an issue’

Malacañang, for its part, downplayed yesterday the supposed “technical impasse” in the peace negotiations between the government and the MILF, saying this would not be “insurmountable.”

In a press briefing, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said he spoke with Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles and was told the impasse or disagreement on which party would steer the proposed BTA was “not an issue.”

“Remember in the Transition Commission Framework Agreement, it was written there that the President will appoint eight out of the 15 – eight will be coming from MILF under the EO (executive order on transitional authority),” Lacierda said.

“I think it’s a matter of language. That can be resolved,” Lacierda said.

Asked whether the government was still on track with the peace negotiations, Lacierda said both sides were going through the various annexes and there had been significant progress made after “that technical impasse.”

“She (Deles) told me that there are a number of points that (they) have already agreed upon or have been discussing very, very positively,” he said.

“As to the timetable, remember those annexes would still be raised (before) the principals. So I’m not certain right now if there will be (another meeting set). I don’t know the schedule of the discussions. There are still ongoing talks in (Kuala Lumpur) and so we will leave it with the panel to give us further statement to that effect,” Lacierda said.  – With Aurea Calica