Foreign Observers: Still Disappointed In Philippine Elections
There have been an overwhelming sense of disappointment coming from foreign observers regarding The 2007 Philippine Midterm Elections. The Cebu Delegation of the International Observers Mission (IMO) observed instances and cases of vote buying, flying voters, unlocked ballot boxes, and the slow pace of canvassing.
PCIJ also reported the disappointment of foreign observers in the ARMM polls.
ASIAN foreign observers expressed deep regret over the failure of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to conduct peaceful, honest and orderly elections last May 14 in the six provinces of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Reporting its findings at a press conference today, the 21-member delegation of the international observer mission coordinated by the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) deployed in Muslim Mindanao said the ARMM polls had been marred by widespread violence, vote-buying and election irregularities.
Other issues that were on the mind of foreign observers include the high cost of election campaigning, a need to move towards computerized elections, as well as the use of children in illegal election day practices.
Other Reports:
Bulatlat: Int’l observers: Voters disenfranchised in Tondo
Bulatlat: Soldiers harass foreign observers at Cebu checkpoint
Bulatlat: Observers caught in midst of soldiers, crowd in Guimba
Foreign observers witness blatant cheating, chaos in Lanao Sur polls
Bulatlat: Observers report poll irregularities in Quezon
Related Video
BBC: Philippines Poll Day Peaceful
But you have to give credit to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as well, like it or not, she certainly does a great job in terms of making statements that any Public Relations person would be proud of. As observed by the BBC, the international media, although not even interested in Philippine politics, seem to be on the consensus that the Philippine Midterm Election 2007 was an overall peaceful process.
Click on the following link to see the BBC World News Video on The Philippine Midterm Elections.
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Peaceful? I believe that some African countries have cleaner polls than we do. BBC obviously do not have reporters on the ground and content themselves with palace statements, talk about reporting. But then who cares about BBC, they’re not the international press anyway.
[…] the observation did not end in ARMM, as I reported on Tingog.com; other reports included: Voters disenfranchised in Tondo, soldiers harassing foreign observers at a […]
Schumey, I have yet to hear any reports coming from Top American media regarding our elections…
I guess the French are more important these days..
Who the hell cares what these foreign observers think anyways. They don’t realize that Bush won his first term by cheating his way in Florida. They don’t realize that the voting in Iraq is a joke, they don’t realize that Pakistan is as worse. Russia is reverting back to the cold war days.
Hey no one is perfect, but these damn foreign observers think they can makes statements that undermine our country. They should start looking at themselves!