Comelec to tackle ‘ills’ of electoral system in conference

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will hold a three-day “assessment conference” with stakeholders in elections to discuss the “ills” of the country’s electoral system from Aug. 20 to 22, chairman Benjamin Abalos said yesterday.

Abalos said the outcome of the conference would be used by the Comelec in reforming the country’s electoral system in time for the 2010 presidential polls.

“We will be discussing the ills of elections, what are the problems. We want to know how we can address these ills and why there have always been problems in Mindanao,” he said in an ambush interview.

The Comelec intends to invite two representatives each from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, Legal Network for Truthful Elections, National Movement for Free Elections, Consortium for Electoral Reforms/Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, Halalang Marangal, First Time Voters, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Department of Justice, major political parties, military groups and the media, among others.

The Comelec is still determining the venue of the conference.

Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra said they would ask these groups to prepare their respective “position papers” on the matter.

“We would like to review and analyze the performance of the commission in the last May 14 elections in all aspects of the electoral process – from preparations or pre-election, the actual conduct and then post-election, pertaining to the counting, canvassing and proclamation. We would like the stakeholders to be present there for their suggestions and comments,” he said.

Borra said they expect to receive criticisms from the participants during the conference.

“We are ready (for criticisms) because this is a public office and we are at the center of the public eye. Considering that the criticisms are really very crucial, why not turn around and harness these criticisms and reverse them?” he added.

He said constructive criticisms could be useful for the Comelec. “If criticism is meant to put down, then it is not – of course it has an effect – but we don’t want to just criticize without an alternative option,” he said.

Borra said the holding of the conference is part of Comelec’s efforts to prepare for the national elections in 2010.