Youth vote crucial in the May 14 polls

They are perceived as cynical, apolitical and apathetic, but the youth could well deliver the crucial swing votes this coming May elections.

This was the consensus of James Jimenez, spokesperson of the Commission on Elections; Guillermo Luz, executive vice president of the Ayala Foundation, and former National Movement for Free Elections secretary-general and Makati Business Club executive director; and Kris Pura, spokesman of the Youth Group of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia.

If the candidates have only done their math, they will realize that the youth will be a "powerful voice" this coming May elections, given the expected three to four million first-time voters, Luz said.

Jimenez said in an e-mailed reply that the 2007 elections "will be the last completely unautomated national and local elections in our history and the first where the Internet and Short Message Service or text messaging will truly make their presence felt."

Given the young people's penchant for mobile technology and the Internet, he said their role will be very vital in turning the election tide. "The youth vote can be the seed of a greater movement towards increased youth participation in subsequent elections," he added.

The three were guests at the first in a series of virtual press conferences hosted at Yehey.com's Brewing Point (www.yehey.com/chat/brewing point). Called Voters Ed @ Brewing Point, the series serves as a venue to educate voters online on the May 2007 elections and for continuing education in responsible citizenship.

Apart from casting their votes, the youth could also play a pivotal role by joining poll watchdogs and vigilantly guard the ballots. This early, Luz says there are already signs of electoral fraud. "First, unknown candidates have been fielded mainly because they have the same last names as other candidates," he said. The delay in the Comelec's release of voters list, along with its announcement that more than 44 million voters registered for this election, are also raising eyebrows. "I can't see how that is possible when there are only 88.1 million people [in the country]," Luz added.

The recent fire that gutted the Comelec building was also "not a good sign" that the election results will be honest and clean. Comelec should release an inventory of what was stored at its building during the fire as some records "may even be part of the evidence" in election-related cases, Luz said.

Jimenez, however, doused these fears and dismissed cynicisms towards the poll body as a mere "perception problem" and "the fruit of a determined campaign to discredit the Comelec." Despite "all the hew and cry of the last three years, there has not been a single shred of solid evidence to prove any wrongdoing on the part of the Comelec," he added.

In response, Luz attributed Comelec's credibility problem to "unresolved issues" such as the Supreme Court's nullification of the automated counting machine contract, the Ombudsman's draft decision recommending the suspension of Comelec officials, and the much-celebrated "Hello, Garci" controversy, where President Gloria Arroyo admitted to talking to someone from Comelec and apologized on national television.

For his part, ISA's Kris Pura called on the government to "communicate to [the youth] more effectively" on how best to mobilize their participation in the coming elections. He also reiterated ISA's belief that the forthcoming elections "will not lead to lasting change for the country unless drastic measures are done now that could make the outcomes meaningful, relevant."

During the online presscon, Luz gave these tips to young voters:

Closely study the candidates - their ethics, honesty and integrity.

Fill in all the 12 senatorial positions and sectoral party lists in your ballot.

Be vigilant by joining poll-watching or quick-count groups, such as NAMFREL, to aid in counting and posting results. To join NAMFREL, one may call 634-5604 or e-mail [email protected].

"Apathy, cynicism, and being apolitical never solve any governance problem. If we want to fix our nation and make it a better place to live in, then we should work at it," Luz said, adding that non-action only "keeps the status quo."

The Voters Ed @ Brewing Point series will run from March 15 to May 10 every Thursday at 10 AM to noontime. Yehey! registered users - which currently are numbering around 300,000 - and any interested chatters are welcome to participate by logging on to www.yehey.com/chat/brewingpoint and entering the password shown on the page.

The project is a partnership among Yehey.com, one of the country's three most-viewed sites; ISA, a non-partisan coalition advocating citizens' participation in governance; and editorial services provider Writers Edge, Inc.