Thursday, July 24, 2008 House mulls moving Armm elections
THE House of Representative is seriously considering the postponement of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) elections after no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo supported the possibility of resetting the August elections to give primacy to the peace process.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, House Speaker Prospero Nograles said he has scheduled a meeting with Mindanao representatives Tuesday next week to get the opinion and decision of the lawmakers on the issue.
Nograles said he is also consulting with Armm Governor Zaldy Ampatuan to get their stand on the election postponement.
“Should they advise that postponement will speed up the Mindanao peace process, I shall personally try to fast track move to postpone (the Armm election). As administration official, I shall respect the wishes of the President as I want the final peace in Mindanao to be her lasting legacy,” Nograles said.
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza meanwhile stated that President Arroyo “expressed elation over the spontaneous support from the governors and other officials of the Armm in the peace process.”
“A resetting of the August elections will provide flexibility to the peace negotiators at this crucial stage of the negotiation,” Dureza said.
It was learned that Sultan Kudarat Representative Pax Mangudadatu will sponsor the bill that would suspend the Armm elections next month
The MILF earlier demanded that the Armm elections be suspended as the group believes that pushing through with the election create the impression that the government is not really serious in the present talks and the President is not really determined to wind up the talks during her term of office.
The group also believes to give a transition period of the future Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) once the government and the MILF sign the Comprehensive Compact because elected local officials of the Armm will have to finish first their term of office in 2011.
The MILF peace panel further argued for the need to postpone the Armm election as a clear manifestation of President Arroyo’s policy of the “primacy of the peace process”.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) meanwhile announced that they are "happy" with the results of the mock elections held in the region.
In a press conference, Comelec chair Jose Melo said the results of the mock elections, which is a dry run for the August 11 event, are "very, very heartening" and that the agency is "very satisfied" with it.
Comelec will use the direct recording electronic (DRE) and optical media reader machines in next month’s election if Congress would not postpone it. (BOT)
