MILF assures well-balanced selection of Transition Commission members

AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Friday said that the composition of the members of its Transition Commission, which would work on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, would be “well-balanced and representative of the major blocs of the MILF and tribes in Mindanao.”

This was according to MILF Secretariat chair Muhammad Ameen, in a statement posted on luwaran.com, the official website of the MILF Central Committee on Information.

The government and the MILF will select the 15 members of the commission–eight will be chosen by the MILF and seven by the government.

The TC will work on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law based on the comprehensive peace agreement to be completed this year.

The comprehensive peace agreement is comprised of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the annexes to the Framework on power sharing, wealth sharing and normalization.

The Framework Agreement, which outlines the general features of the political settlement between the government and the MILF, was signed in Malacañang last month.

The peace panels hope to complete the annexes in their next round of formal talks in Kuala Lumpur in December.

Ameen said the MILF’s members in the TC would include one woman and one member of the indigenous tribes.

He also said that the MILF had its own selection committee which did not allow “recommendations” to be made so as not to “disrupt” the MILF’s selection process.

Ameen said that the MILF’s selection committee considered only two qualifications for the nominees to the TC.

These were “dedication, commitment, and loyalty to the cause” and having the “capability to discharge the duties and responsibilities required of the job.”

According to Ameen, the second criterion was “indispensable” as it included “the experience in various engagements in the MILF-led struggle.”