Gov’t-MILF talks resume July 8, Ramadan eve

MILF political affairs chief Ghadzali Jaafar: On with the peace talks. FILE PHOTO

COTABATO CITY, Philippines—Government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) negotiators will be meeting in Kuala Lumpur on the eve of the fasting month of Ramadan, a ranking rebel leader said.

Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF political affairs chief, said the two sides were supposed to meet Monday in the Malaysian capital but later agreed to do so on July 8.

Muslims all over the world will start fasting from daybreak to dawn possibly beginning July 9 or when the moon is sighted—as Islamic tradition dictates.

“Even if it falls on the eve of Ramadan, our panel chairman (Mohaqher) Iqbal and professor (Miriam) Ferrer agreed in Norway to resume the peace talks on July 8,” Jaafar said in a radio interview.

Earlier, Iqbal confirmed meeting with Ferrer in Oslo during an international forum on peace mediation held on June 18 and 19, but did not elaborate on what they talked about.

Iqbal described the meeting with Ferrer as a “social and chance meeting,” and initially denied that the two panels had agreed to meet early next month.

Jaafar said the two panels would further discuss the annexes on wealth sharing, power sharing and normalization during the coming 38th round of the exploratory talks.

In a statement issued on Friday, Ferrer said she had forwarded to her MILF counterpart the full proposals of the government on the wealth-sharing annex for the MILF to study and consider.

During the last exploratory talks in March, the two panels failed to finalize the remaining annexes on wealth sharing, power sharing and normalization which will form part of the GPH-MILF comprehensive agreement, along with the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

Jaafar said the MILF was still in the process of reviewing the government proposal on wealth and power sharing, but added that the MILF panel had already established positions on the issues.

“Our panel will present our position at the July 8 meeting; we hope there is a meeting of minds,” he said.

In a statement, government peace panel member Senen Bacani said there were already some agreed upon points on wealth and power sharing.

“The few remaining issues in the annexes are being addressed and we remain optimistic,” Bacani said.

Bacani also appealed for “a little patience and understanding” for the delays besetting the talks “as we have no control over the schedules of other people.”

“But I am very hopeful that we will finish this comprehensive agreement in a month or two,” Bacani said.