Leaders of Mahardika Party during a press briefing in Cotabato City on Monday, 24 June 2024. MindaNews photo by FERDINANDH CABRERA
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 25 June) – The Mahardika Party, the political party of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) affiliated with founding chair Nur Misuari, has filed with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) its petition for accreditation with manifestation to join the historic Bangsamoro Parliament election in May 2025.
Hundreds of followers gathered in one of the malls in this city on Monday to show their support to Mahardika, which is headed by Nur’s children, Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) members Abdulkarim Misuari and Nurredha Misuari.
Five other BTA members are part of Mahardika. The BTA, also known as the Bangsamoro Parliament, is the interim body that governs the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Abdukarim said that Mahardika is a coinage of “Mahar” (great) and “Dika” (creation), which means theirs is a party of “great creation.”
He said the party principle is rooted from the “cause and aspirations” of MNLF founder Nur Misuari, which include “building and sustaining peace, healing the wounds of war, governance with a heart, development with conscience, youth development, and assurance that no Bangsamoro will be left behind.”
“This will be our political vehicle to our continuous struggle now in the political governance (arena). We wanted to be part of this unfolding history (brought by) the gains of (the Bangsamoro) peace (process),” Abdulkarim said.
Mahardika leaders claimed they have 25,500 party members and that the group is also open to form a coalition with other regional political parties.
Last May, during the BARMM Grand Coalition (BGC) launch in Sulu led by Governor Sakur Tan, Nur’s daughter Nurredha was seen in attendance there.
However, this should not be interpreted as Mahardika’s expression of support to the BGC, she said.
“Let me remind everyone that we are voting for the party and district representatives. It is the elected parties and district representatives who will vote for the Chief Minister, so our effort now is to convince people to register and make them vote during election day,” Nurredha said.
The Bangsamoro Parliament election allows coalition to strengthen the regional political parties.
The major political parties that have emerged so far are the United Bangsamoro Justice Party, the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and the BGC. The MILF is leading the interim Bangsamoro government.
The BGC is a coalition of the Al Ittihad-UKB Party led by former Sultan Kudarat governor and now TESDA Director General Suharto “Teng” Mangudadatu and wife Maguindanao del Sur Gov. Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu, SIAP Party of Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr., Bangsamoro People’s Party of Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman and the Salam Party of Sulu governor Tan.
UBJP, on the other hand, has gathered the support of Tawi-Tawi Gov. Yshmael “Mang” Sali, Basilan Gov. Jim Hataman-Salliman, Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulraof Macacua and Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao.
The Mahardika is the second MNLF-affiliated political party that filed with the Comelec an accreditation with manifestation to join the first regional parliament election in May 2025.
The first was the Bangsamoro Party (BaPa) of former Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema, who heads a faction that is known as the “MNLF Council of 15.”
Sema is a BTA member and Minister of Labor and Employment of the interim Bangsamoro government.
Asked if they are willing to coalesce with BaPa, Atty. Randolph Parcasio, Mahardika secretary-general, said they are open to such possibility.
“We always aim for solidarity. We are open to formal negotiations. But at this moment we have not yet decided, we need to convene the party to decide on the matter,” he said. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)
