ARMM Polls Generally Peaceful, Officials

An unidentified member of the Board of Elections rushes to put a lock on a ballot box Monday, August 11, 2008 after reporters inspected a government school in Luuk town in Sulu province where voters cast their ballots during elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Military tanks also patrol the province to ensure elections will not be disturb by rebels. Many members of the Board of Elections were spotted filling out ballots in Luuk town. More than 1.7 million people from the Muslim autonomous region - which is composed of Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao and Maguindanao provinces, including Marawi City - voted for their new governor, deputy governor and members of the regional legislative assembly. (Mindanao Examiner)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 11, 2008) – Elections in the Muslim autonomous region on Monday was marred with shootings, ballot boxes snatching and cheating as some 1.7 million people voted for a new set of officials.

The Muslim autonomous region is composed of Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao and Maguindanao provinces, including Marawi City, where voters elected their new governor, deputy governor and members of the regional legislative assembly.

The Commission on Elections said there were reports of ballot boxes snatching in Sumisip town in Basilan province. Police also reported shootings in Akbar and Maluso towns. “There were reports of ballot boxes snatching in Basilan,” lawyer Vidzfar Julie, the deputy regional elections chief, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Automated polls successful

He said despite reports of ballot snatching incidents and shootings, the elections were successful because of the information campaign of the poll body of the use of automated machines. The regional polls were considered a prelude to the national elections in 2010.

James Jimenez, spokesman for the Commission on Elections, said the regional elections is a significant milestone in poll reform in the country because voters showed enthusiasm in using automated voting machines.

“We have seen the long queues of voters eagerly waiting for their turn to vote using the electronic voting machines,” Jimenez said. “We are so heartened about the initial positive voting turn out. With the new technology, the people of Maguindanao are more motivated vote than ever before.”

MILF attacks

Police in Basilan province said fighting erupted at around 1.30 p.m. in Tipo-Tipo town between government troops and Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels.

“There is fighting between military and rebel forces and two soldiers and a government militia are wounded in the clashes,” Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar, the Basilan police chief, said in a separate interview.

He said armed rebels tried, but failed to stop elections in the town. There were no reports of MILF casualties, he said, adding, the rebels torched several houses before retreating to the mountains.

Macapantar said MILF gunmen also fired their weapons in Sumisip town, briefly disrupting the polls. He said a member of the Board of Elections panicked on the sounds of the gunfire and fled away bringing two ballot boxes, but returned later and the elections continued.

There were also shooting incidents in Akbar town, but no reports of casualties. “Overall, the elections were successful,” Macapantar said.

Cheating

In Sulu province, cheating had been reported in the town of Luuk where members of the Board of Elections themselves were allegedly spotted filling out ballots. Many ballot boxes in the polling precincts in Luuk also had no locks and supporters of candidates to the regional legislative assembly were inside allegedly influencing voters.

Gunfire were also reported in Sulu’s Panglima Estino town where supporters of opposing candidates were present, but police said the incident was quickly investigated.

“Elections in Sulu are peaceful. There were no major election-related incidents and the polls are successful,” said Senior Superintendent Julasirim Kasim, Sulu police chief.

He attributed the success of the polls to the joint efforts of the police and military and the strict enforcement of the gun ban throughout Sulu.

Close coordination

Sulu Governor Sakur Tan also cited the close coordination between the police and military and the Commission on Elections to the successful polls and the implementation of the total gun ban in the province. “As we expected, Sulu finished the elections without violence,” he said.

Elections were also generally peaceful in Maguindanao province, although fighting between military and MILF forces continue in nearby province of North Cotabato, where seven rebels and an infantryman died in fierce clashes since Sunday.

More rebel attacks, snatching of ballot boxes

There was also a report of ballot boxes snatching in Barira town in Maguindanao and Shariff Kabunsuan, said Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

“The regional elections were also peaceful and we have no reports of killings or serious election-incidents,” Ando said.

He said sporadic fighting continues between troops and Muslim rebels in the towns of Aleosan, Midsayap, and Pikit, where MILF forces were trapped. Authorities last week ordered rebel forces out of those areas, but a 24-hour ultimatum had been stretched because of the fighting also between MILF gunmen and government militias.

The MILF said the fighting, if not stopped, could spread to other areas in Mindanao and may affect the peace talks. The MILF, which is fighting for a separate homeland, has been negotiating for peace with the Arroyo government since 2001.

Close to 19,000 soldiers and policemen were deployed to secure the polls in more than 880 villages throughout the autonomous region. (Mindanao Examiner)