Saturday, April 05, 2008

Sulu mayors back ARMM gov re-election bid

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan received endorsements Thursday from mayors of the Province of Sulu, officials said on Saturday.

The Bureau of Public Information-ARMM (BPI-ARMM) reported that an overwhelming majority of Sulu mayors have expressed their unwavering and full support to the re-election bid of Ampatuan.

Quoting Maimbung town Mayor Mohammad Najib Maldisa of Sulu, the BPI-ARMM said the mayors' decision to support Ampatuan is sealed by their commitment to keep up with ongoing socio-economic development in the ARMM.

On Thursday, Sulu mayors attended the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in Cotabato City between the autonomous government and LGUs to facilitate the implementation of priority infrastructure projects.

Mayor Maldisa made it clear that even when the 'big if' cited by Isnaji happens, the mayors would still be solidly behind Ampatuan, according to BPI-ARMM report.

The source also said that the mayors made their announcement even after Indanan Mayor Isnaji Alvarez divulged that the central committee of the MNLF endorses his candidacy as the next Governor of ARMM.

The mayor of Indanan is currently the president of the League of Sulu Municipalities and a former interim chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) following the arrest of Nur Misuari in Malaysia.

Along with the election of Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema as its new Chairman, the MNLF has also chosen Isnaji as its official bet should the ARMM polls proceed this year in a meeting held earlier in Pagadian City.

Isnaji, however, stressed that there is a 'big if' to his candidacy, referring to the would be outcome of the ongoing OIC-GRP-MNLF tripartite talks, the BPI-ARMM report said.

He said that he still fully support Ampatuan's re-election pending the result of the tripartite meeting. "The tripartite meeting would determine if the MNLF will have its own candidate in the ARMM elections," the report said.

However, the group of Sulu mayors have voiced out their unwavering support to Ampatuan in spite of the MNLF's decision, it said.

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