The Philippines and the country's largest Muslim rebel group hope to sign a deal by April next year to end a four decades-long conflict that has killed 1,20,000 people, officials from both sides said on Wednesday.
Both parties are pushing to finalise the deal, which involves bringing back international monitors to the southern region, before Philippine president Gloria Arroyo's term ends in June 2010, as present negotiations are under her mandate.
But analysts say the agreement may have little chance of bringing immediate peace to the southern Mindanao region.
"The timeline for us to achieve this is very limited...we will do the best we can and God willing, we will achieve something," said Rafael Seguis, chairman of the Philippine government peace negotiating panel.
Seguis was speaking to reporters after concluding two-day talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) held in the Malaysian capital.
The Philippine government and MILF have been talking on-and-off for 12 years to resolve a conflict that has displaced two million people and scared off potential investors from the potentially oil and gas rich region.
The Philippines ended peace negotiations in August 2008 after a deal to expand an existing Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao was halted by the country's supreme court, angering rogue elements of the MILF.
"The decision of the MILF right from the start is that we want a negotiated political settlement. The MILF does not want war," Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF panel chairman, said.
Some analysts are sceptical that the peace deal can be reached so soon.
"It's a smart political move, but any comprehensive agreement would take more time because of the land and sovereignty issues at stake that need constitutional change," said Pete Troilo, analyst at risk consultancy Pacific Strategies and Assessments.
Under the new deal, the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group would return the region after pulling out more than a year ago due to an escalation of violence in Muslim areas in the south of the country.
The Malaysian mediator for the talks, Othman Razak, said the IMT would maintain member countries — Malaysia, Japan, Brunei and Libya — and that Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak had agreed in principle for Malaysia to rejoin and lead the IMT.
The IMT will deploy in January and also includes a number of non-governmental organisations such as the International Committee on the Red Cross. The group will also be tasked with the monitoring of civilian protection, said Othman.
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