Press Statement

17 April 2001

OPTIMISM ON GRP-NDFP PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

By Jose Maria Sison

NDFP Chief Political Consultant

I am glad that the solidarity conference for a just and lasting peace will be held in Manila on April 18 and that the preparations for the resumption of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations in Oslo on 27 April are well underway.

I am pleased with the clarification by the GRP that it has not made any proposal or request to put a nationwide mutual ceasefire ahead of the negotiations on social, economic and political reforms.

The subject of ending the armed hostilities is a valid subject of the peace negotiations. That is why it is in the substantive agenda of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations.

To reach the subject of ending the armed hostilities on a national scale, the GRP and the NDFP negotiating panels must work hard to produce the comprehensive agreement on social and economic reforms and then the comprehensive agreement on political and constitutional reforms.

These two prospective agreements, together with the accomplished GRP-NDFP Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, will lay the ground for the end of armed hostilities and for a just and lasting peace.

There is ground for optimism that the GRP and the NDFP negotiating panels would soon be able to work out the comprehensive agreement on social and economic reforms because they are well prepared with their respective reciprocal working committees.

I think that there is a positive level of understanding between the GRP leadership of President Gloria Macapagal and the NDFP National Executive Committee. #