Front rejects referendum

Press, 22 April 1977, Page 6

Front rejects referendum

NZPA-Reuter Manila The Moro National Liberation Front has formally rejected last Sunday’s Govern-ment-sponsored referendum on autonomy in' the southwest Philippines, saying that it did not conform to an agreement between the Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gadaffi, and President Marcos. The M.N.L.F. stand was expressed by Dr Abdurahman Amin, the group’s political spokesman, in reply to questions on his arrival in Manila along with three other M.N.L.F. leaders and representatives of the Islamic Conference, including the Libyan Foreign Minister (Mr Abdel Salaam Tureiki). Dr Amin, a 34-year-old medical practitioner, said: “We have rejected the referendum -because it contradicted the letter and spirit of the Tripoli agreement, and was not in conformity with the Gadaffi-Marcos agreement.”

To another question, he said that the M.N.L.F. recognised the agreement made last month between President Marcos and Colonel Gadaffi—which among other things provides for the establishment of autonomy in 13 southern Philippines provinces— “but not the interpretation of the Philippine Government.”

Counting in the referendum is still going on, but the overwhelming trend so far has been against the merger into a single autonomous region of the 13 affected provinces, or any control by the 'M.N.L.F., which ordered a [boycott of the polls. : though voting was compulsory, many people did not |vote, especially in Moslem (areas.

I The Elections Commission, (the Government agency that 'supervised the referendum in I the 13 provinces, has said it (expects to proclaim official 'results on Saturday,