GORDON CALLS ON THE ARMM TO VOTE

Senator Richard J. Gordon, the author of the Automated Elections Law, calls on the people of Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to exercise their right of suffrage and support the upcoming ARMM elections.

"The upcoming elections will show that our democracy still works despite the heavy and inflammatory debate going on within our country. It will also be an opportunity to test the new automated system in preparation for the 2010 elections", Gordon said.

Gordon said that our Muslim brothers should be the ones to show us how modernized voting could happen.

"Our Muslim brothers in the ARMM are the ones who will show us and teach us how modernized voting could happen. This coming Monday, they will be the ones to cast their votes and hold the ballots for the DRE," he said.

Senator Gordon said that threats of conflict in Mindanao should not derail the ARMM elections on Monday, August 11.

"This is our golden opportunity to restore our people's trust and confidence in our electoral process. Our holding of automated elections in ARMM will more quickly build a foundation for peace and cut deeper inroads for development, which is a core issue of conflict in the Southern Philippines. With fast, fair, and accurate elections we can be more certain of political stability in the ARMM," said Gordon as news reports indicated that the MILF has withdrawn its fighters from nine villages it allegedly occupied in Nothern Cotabato.

Gordon said that pushing through with the automated elections should not be a problem. In other countries, elections pushed through despite ongoing peace negotiations. He cited that even in war-torn Iraq, Iraqis were able to conduct peaceful and successful elections.

"On 15 December 2005, a general election was held in Iraq to elect a permanent 275-member Iraqi Council of Representatives. Despite political unrest in the region the election turnout was relatively high at 70% and there were relatively low levels of violence during polling."

"The 2005 elections in Iraq showed the world that the Iraqis wanted democracy. It was a shining moment in Iraq that they were able to vote in times of war."

Gordon said that the reason behind the success of the 2005 elections in Iraq was the support of millions of Iraqis and their desire for democracy. Insurgent groups made good their promise on a moratorium on attacks during the elections. These groups even went as far as guarding the voters from attacks.

"If Iraq could conduct elections in wartime conditions then there is really no reason for us not to be able to hold elections since we are not in a state of war."

"Holding the automated elections will fulfill the dreams of our countrymen of a true democracy where they would be able to choose the right elective officials and where elections will be fair, honest and clean. This continues on to the 2010 elections and we will have better elections."

"The automated elections in ARMM will do more for peace and political stability both in the short term and in the long run. The current peace agreement between the GRP and MILF must still undergo legislative and judicial processes, even requiring a plebiscite and amendments to the constitution. The automated elections is a clear choice between the two and on Monday, we will witness the beginning of the era of modern elections in the Philippines," said Gordon.

Gordon, having authored RA 9369 or the amended Automated Elections Law, paved the way for automated elections in the ARMM which in turn will enable the country to undergo automated elections in 2010.