The Indonesian government on Thursday offered Aceh rebels a compromise on their ambitions to become a political party if a truce is secured in the fifth round of talks in Helsinki, Reuters reported. The Free Aceh Movement (GAM), fighting for independence from Jakarta for three decades, said Indonesia's offer could pave the way for a peace accord, which might be signed in August. The full details of Indonesia's proposal were still secret but Justice Minister Hamid Awaluddin said part of it would allow GAM members to run for office in the province on the northern tip of Sumatra, under the umbrella of other parties. "It is clear we cannot allow GAM to establish a local political party in the current situation. It is possible this position maybe could be changed, it depends on the conditions," Awaluddin told Reuters after Thursday's session. Indonesia says that, under existing laws, parties must have a headquarters in Jakarta and branches in more than half of Indonesia's 33 provinces. --More 2216 Local Time 1916 GMT
