MILF LOOKS FOR INTERIM AGREEMENT WITH THE PHILIPPINES

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
wants to enter into an "interim agreement or interim arrangement" for peace with
the Philippine Government before President Gloria Arroyo leaves office at the
end of June or even before the election on May 10.

Speaking to reporters at the end of a day-long peace talks hosted by
Malaysia here Thursday, Malaysia's facilitator for the Philippines and MILF
peace talks, Othman Abd Razak, said the MILF had proposed this and the
Philippine side was "very positive" on that.

He believed that the Philippines had a clear idea on the issue, adding that
it
could come up with its own counterproposal.

"We hope with the counter proposal and the MILF current proposal...we have
to reconcile these two...hopefully, we can have an interim arrangement or
agreement, whatever, before President Arroyo leaves," he said.

Othman said an interim agreement or arrangement was basically a process for
building trust, preserving whatever gains made from the peace talks so far and
for "something the new government can start from, rather than start from zero".

He said stumbling blocks for a peace deal involved time constraints as the
current administration would leave office, constitutional matters and
legislative processes.

"I think we have to be very realistic...of course, there is some optimism
that we could have something before Arroyo leaves. We are (now) looking at
having something to be carried forward to the next administration. It will be
better to have this (interim agreement) than nothing.

Othman said another meeting could be convened soon.

He said at today's meeting, the MILF did a lot of answering and
clarification to questions posed by the Philippine peace panel.

The peace talks brokered by Malaysia since 2001, seeks to end Muslim
insurgency there, which has killed 120,000 people.

On Feb 17, the MILF announced that Manila's proposal made during talks in
Malaysia in January was "unacceptable" and a peace deal during President Gloria
Arroyo's administration was also unlikely.

-- BERNAMA