More followers of Misuari bid him goodbye as MNLF chairman

COTABATO CITY — Thousands of other followers of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Nur Misuari bade him goodbye in a historic assembly here yesterday, in the presence of Libyan Ambassador Salem Adem, whose government now recognizes the so-called "Council of 15" as the new central leadership of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Among those present in the day-long MNLF assembly at the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College were Melham Alam, Abebakerin Lucman and Sahirin Bahjin, leaders of the Islamic Command Council, and more than a thousand members of the Mutallah Force, the front’s remaining unit loyal to Misuari.

Members of the Council of 15, composed of pioneer MNLF leaders, including Cotabato City Mayor Muslimim Sema and Sulu Gov. Yusoph Jikiri, unseated Misuari as the front’s chairman last April 29 due to what they claimed was loss of trust and confidence.

Dozens of MNLF leaders took turns in criticizing Misuari during the assembly and urged President Arroyo to order an extensive audit of state funds channeled to the ARMM government, before the holding of the plebiscite for expanded Mindanao autonomy.

Jikiri, the MNLF’s chief of staff, said while it was painful for them to bid goodbye to Misuari, their leader for almost four decades, they have no way but to install a new central leadership to rebuild what he described as the MNLF’s "badly devastated image" and to introduce reforms in its ranks.

Alano Bansawan, chairman of the front’s Sebangan Kutawato State Revolutionary Committee, said the MNLF members who pledged support for the Council of 15 yesterday were mostly farmers and former combatants long griping over Misuari’s failure to give them livelihood projects and jobs.

Sema, secretary-general of the MNLF, said the council is now gaining headway in its efforts to forge ties with foreign governments, including member-countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference, which helped broker the Sept. 2, 1996 government-MNLF peace agreement. — John Unson