MILF forms political party for envisioned Bangsamoro elections

Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF political affairs chief. FILE PHOTO

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The political party that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has put up so it could field candidates in the anticipated elections in the future Bangsamoro autonomous entity is now functional.

Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF political affairs chief, said on Thursday that for the MILF, the final struggle for the Moro peoples’ fight for autonomy and right to self-determination meant they have to join the mainstream by participating in the envisioned election in the new political jurisdiction.

Even before the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed by both parties earlier in 2014, the MILF’s Central Committee has already called for a meeting to discuss the direction of the political and electoral struggle, Jaafar said.

“In a meeting with the Central Committee, we talked about the idea of organizing a Bangsamoro political party. And it was agreed upon unanimously,” he said by phone.

The MILF, he said, created a special committee tasked to lay the foundation of the political party.

“Before we made our decision, we conducted consultations all over Mindanao and asked them to give out their recommendations,” Jaafar said.

After a few months, the Central Committee agreed to formally name its new party the United Bangsamoro Justice Party and declared that it would participate in the future regional and local elections.

He said that the UBJP has been fully organized after the selection of its officials.

“But their names are not yet for publication. In due time, we will divulge their names,” Jaafar said.

He said the UBJP has also opened its doors to prospective members.

“This party is open to anyone, whether they are members of the MILF or not,” he said. But he immediately added that the MILF has put up some mechanisms to keep unscrupulous politicians out of the party.

“We know that (the possibility that unscrupulous politicians will enlist) and we will not allow that to happen,” Jaafar said.

Considering that the proposed new political entity would be the product of the MILF’s long struggle, Jaafar expressed hope that their political party would dominate the elections.

“Our membership is larger compared to those of other parties,” he said.

In the final draft of the BBL, the proposed political system will be parliamentary in form.

The Bangsamoro Parliament will be composed of party representatives, district representatives and sectoral representatives. The parliament will have a titular head.

The chief minister, who will head the ministerial government, shall be elected by majority votes by the members of the parliament.

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