Gov’t sees peace deal with NDF within a year

The government peace panel is committed to signing a final peace agreement with the National Democratic Front (NDF) in just a year to give the Duterte administration five years to start implementing key reforms agreed upon by both parties.

Government peace panel member Hernani Braganza yesterday said the Duterte administration has imposed this deadline so it could see the implementation before the President’s term ends in 2022.

“The negotiation stage may be difficult, but the real test of the peace process lies in the implementation of social, economic and political reforms mutually agreed upon by both parties,” Braganza told participants of the Central Visayas People’s Summit for Peace and Change held in Cebu City.

“The Duterte government and the NDF share a common mission: address the root causes of the armed conflict. Both panels are guided by this mission and we are serious in finding joint solutions to attain just and lasting peace,” he added.

Braganza expressed optimism that both panels can finish the negotiation in a year, following their agreement in Oslo to accelerate the timetable that binds their Reciprocal Working Committees (RWCs) and Reciprocal Working Groups (RWGs) to complete work on the substantive agenda of the peace negotiations within specific timeline.

Part of the agreement is a commitment by the RWCs on Comprehensive Agreement on Socioeconomic Reforms (CASER) of both panels to “endeavor to complete work within a period of six months.”

Discussions on the CASER are expected to last the longest among items in the substantive agenda as these involve the most contentious issues such as agrarian reform, national industrialization and foreign policy.

Braganza said the CASER is considered the “heart and soul” of the peace negotiations, noting that work on socioeconomic reform would determine the outcome of the talks.

“Fast- tracking discussions on CASER means accelerating the process of seeking political settlement with the NDF and ending almost half a century of armed conflict with communist guerrillas,” he added.

Another agreement signed in Oslo requires the RWGs on Political and Constitutional Reforms to abide by the following: • exchange of drafts by September 2016;

• common draft by October 2016;

• discussions on common draft on November 2016;

• drafting of common draft at RWC level by December 2016; and

• completion of final draft by January 2017 for submission to respective panels.

Also agreed upon is the timetable set by the RWGs on End of Hostilities/Disposition of Forces. They are required to commence their work on draft outlines by Oct. 24 without waiting for the result of discussions on other substantive issues.