Sunday, May 11, 2008 Review of GRP-MNLF peace accord postponed By Malu Cadelina Manar Correspondent
COTABATO CITY -- The committee of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) tasked to evaluate the peace accord signed by the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has postponed their sessions.
The review of the peace agreement was among the issues to be discussed during those sessions, sources from the MNLF said.
Presidential Deputy Adviser on the Peace Process Nabil Tan confirmed having received a letter from the Indonesian government announcing the postponement of the joint working group sessions.
Tan's office is directly involved in the tripartite review of the 1996 GRP-MNLF peace agreement.
Sources from the OIC's Committee on Peace in Southern Philippines, however, refused to give details why it postponed the sessions.
But sources close to MNLF said the brewing conflict in the MNLF leadership was considered as among the reasons for the indefinite postponement.
The joint working group, composed of combined representatives from the government and the MNLF, is tasked mainly to study the "strengths and weaknesses" of the GRP-MNLF peace accord.
This is part of the three-way effort by the OIC, the MNLF, and the government to resolve issues shrouding the implementation of the agreement.
The review of the joint working group is considered an opening to the tripartite meeting, which was set last week of May and to be held in Manila.
Among those invited from the Philippine government to join the tripartite meeting is Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) Governor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan, Armm Regional Legislative Assembly (RLA) speaker Paisalin Tago, and leaders of MNLF.
