The International Monitoring Team (IMT) for the Mindanao peace process headed by Malaysia continues to expand its membership, with the European Union's (EU) Norway about to formalize its entry despite the pessimistic outlook for even an "interim peace agreement."

MILF leaders have already virtually ruled out even an interim peace pact with the Arroyo administration, which ends on June 30, due to what they say is the government's unchanging stand on the Constitution as a parameter.

Aside from Malaysia, members of IMT, now in its fifth batch, are Libya, Brunei, and Japan.

Luwaran.net announced Friday Norway's intention to join IMT-5. However, the EU member's participation is "still subject to certain conditions." It did not say Norway's conditions for joining IMT-5.

As this developed, Eid Kabalu, head of the Civil-Military Department of the MILF, said yesterday the Mindanao ceasefire between the government and the Moro rebel group is holding even amid what he calls the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) “uncoordinated” movements in Central Mindanao. "So far, Central Mindanao and other parts of the island are enjoying relative peace because of the ceasefire. We hope this will hold until a comprehensive peace accord is achieved," said Kabalu.

The MILF leader attributes this to the presence of IMT-5 in Mindanao. Kabalu said IMT-5 members are consistently holding meetings with members of the ceasefire committees of the government and the MILF to strengthen their coordination.

"MILF leaders are also continuing their peace advocacy through a series of dialogues with stakeholders," he said.

Government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels led, respectively, by Ambassador Rafael Seguis and Mohagher Iqbal, added IMT's civilian protection when it was given a new mandate recently to prevent non-combatants and civilian properties from being harmed when there is fighting.