Q. Representatives who pushed for postponement of the August 8, 2011 ARMM election also cite in their explanatory note that the move to postpone is “beneficial to the peace process and is in fact supported by the MILF and MNLF” because “both groups want to prioritize the resolution of peace issues by the government; MNLF’s demand for a full implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement that would result to amendments of the Organic Act and MILF’s demand for leverage for a definitive timetable for the talks to achieve a significant breakthrough.”
A. While the MI/MN LFs are key players in the ARMM, they are not the only groups that are interested in keeping the central government’s commitment to the holding of elections in the region as mandated by the ARMM laws. The whole of Mindanao is edgy over the possible adverse repercussions of postponing the elections.
The supposed prioritization of peace issues by the government and the rebel groups need not be derailed by the holding of the ARMM elections as fixed by the ARMM law.
In fact, the search for peace will have to continue – before, during or after – new officials are elected in the August ARMM elections.
It is a non-sequitur to argue that the peace process will be impaired by allowing the people of ARMM to elect their leaders as provided by law. What will impair the peace process is the perception that will arise from the central government’s non-implementation of the law on ARMM elections that is already in the books.
If the central government cannot even comply with the terms of the ARMM laws that are of its own making, why will the Moro peoples of Mindanao believe things will be better by deferring the ARMM elections on the say so of the government panel?
Q. They also said postponement will: “enable the Commission on Elections to institute electoral reforms such as purging of the voter’s list and biometrics’ voters’ registration” and that the expenses supposed for the August 8, 2011 elections “may instead be funneled to support the reforms to be introduced in the region.”
A. The Comelec, itself, has issued public statements that it is ready to conduct the elections. Indeed, there is a need to cleanse the process but there are devices in law that can be used to do so without postponing the elections.||| |||buy stendra online with |||
For example, challenging voters who are ineligible to vote in the precincts. And purging Comelec officials seen to be instruments of mass corruption of the electoral process in the ARMM.
Other reforms may be instituted without reference to the actual holding or non-holding of the ARMM elections.
As for the money that will be used to conduct the ARMM elections, that is already provided by law and is according to the Comelec available for that purpose.||| |||buy rifadin online with |||
