A predominantly Muslim region in southern Philippines held its first elections for a regional parliament on Monday and Tuesday. This election brings it closer to self-governance and comes after decades of rebellion and violence in the area.
High turnout and electoral violence
Officials reported that the turnout for this election was over 80 percent. However, following election-related violence in the regional capital, five people were killed, and due to suspicious attempts at fraud, voting in some precincts was extended to the second day.
Read more: U.S. Supreme Court rejects Trump's mail-in voting restrictions
More than 20,000 military and police forces were deployed to ensure the security of the elections. Voters are selecting 80 members of the regional parliament, who will elect a chief minister in their first session. Results of the election are expected to be announced by the end of Tuesday.
Electoral challenges and the region's history
The government extended voting to the second day in 36 out of 86 precincts in the town of Maluso on Basilan Island. This decision was made following the discovery of pre-filled ballots, and new ballots were printed and sent on Monday for 16,000 affected voters. These precincts will continue voting until 7 PM on Tuesday.
Erwin Garcia, the head of the election commission, expressed satisfaction with the high turnout and stated that those attempting to commit fraud would face charges of electoral sabotage. He added, "The elections are based on generations of Bangsamoro efforts for homeland, identity, and self-determination in the face of appropriation, marginalization, conflict, and sacrifice."
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was established under a peace agreement in 2014. This new region is governed by a transitional government made up of former guerrilla leaders. It includes five provinces, three cities, and 63 other villages, with approximately 2.4 million voters living there.
Since the 1970s, around 150,000 military and civilians have lost their lives in southern Philippines, while development in the country's poorest region has stalled. Mindanao regions were known as a sanctuary for terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS until a U.S.-backed military operation weakened these groups.
In May 2017, ISIS-affiliated militants attacked the city of Marawi, leading to five months of ground fighting and airstrikes, resulting in over 1,100 deaths, most of whom were militants, and the destruction of commercial and residential areas of the city.
Siti Ashuiah L.H. Omar, a 22-year-old voter from Marawi, said, "Whoever wins, I hope to see change. I hope they can fulfill their promises."
Read more: Houthis seize strategic islands of Hanish Major and Minor · Voting equipment failure in Georgia undermines the integrity of secret voting
Source: abcnews.com
