MILF chief meets with members to discuss political party structure

Ahud (aka Murad) Ebrahim. FILE PHOTO/MALACANANG PHOTO BUREAU

CAMP DARAPANAN, Maguindanao, Philippines – The head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is meeting with his commanders, leaders and supporters here Monday (Nov. 3), to finalize the organizational structure of the MILF political party for the 2016 national elections.

“We already completed our higher and middle structures. Now we will focus into membership,” MILF chair Murad Ebrahim told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview Sunday.

“Once we finalize it, we will register with the Commission on Elections and then the massive organization in the ground starts,” he added.

The central committee named its new party United Bangsamoro Justice Party and declared that it would participate in the future regional and local elections.

He said they have created a special committee tasked to lay the foundation of the political party.

“Our plan is for the MILF organization to continue as a non-government organization to focus more on assisting in social economic programs, alongside with the government. The MILF will not join the politics as an organization but we will field candidates to run for office,” he explained.

Ebrahim said their political party would be open to all, including non-MILF members.

He added they have formulated mechanisms to keep unscrupulous politicians out of the party.

The draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, or the law that will provide for the establishment of a Bangsamoro autonomous government, will still have to be passed and ratified by Congress, before it will be submitted to the people in a plebiscite.

Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Delez earlier said in an interview in Davao City that both panels would like to complete the decommissioning of MILF forces before the 2016 elections to allow the group to participate in the elections.

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