Maguindanao massacre won’t stop poll automation 2010
The Maguindanao massacre has definitely shaken people’s confidence in government once more. Right now, people are asking, can poll automation push through in Maguindanao and the rest of ARMM?
The Maguindanao massacre is perhaps the bloodiest sign of resistance to poll automation and instead of backing down, the Comelec should push forward much more forcefully.
However, Comelec Automated Election steering committee Chairman Gregorio “Goyo” Larrazabal has indefinitely suspended the conduct of Smartmatic-TIM’s site surveys in Maguindanao.
Comelec halts network survey in Maguindanao
By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:28:00 11/26/2009
MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has suspended indefinitely its survey of available network infrastructure in Maguindanao province following Monday’s massacre of 50 people that included relatives of a local official and journalists.
“The personnel of Smartmatic and Total Information Management (TIM) have suspended for safety concerns the network site survey in some parts of Maguindanao, particularly near the area where a gubernatorial candidate’s family and several media men have been killed,” said Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal.
“For now, we are talking with the regional election director there on what best to do before proceeding,” Larrazabal said.
Despite this, the Comelec is confident this would not delay the preparations for the site survey, which is crucial to ensure electronic transmission from poll automation machines that will be used in the May 2010 elections.
“Despite a slight delay in Maguindanao, the time line for finishing the site survey is tight but manageable and we expect to finish 98 percent (of the site survey) done by year-end and the remaining in January,” Larrazabal said.
The survey maps out available technologies in that can be used to transmit data from polling precincts to Comelec’s central servers, either via SMS or text messaging or via Internet through WiFi, Wimax or satellite technology.
Through automation, Comelec has said it expects to declare winners in next year’s presidential elections in 48 hours.
It might seem prudent to stop preparations for automated elections in ARMM given the circumstances, but it also tends to reveal one of the reasons why ARMM is the way it is — the national government’s failure to persist in delivering good governance.
0 Responses to “Maguindanao massacre won’t stop poll automation 2010”