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MANILA, Philippines?An international electoral watchdog is coming over to witness the country's first automated elections, and said the success of the polls could herald the coming of automated elections in other parts of Asia.
But on the other hand, the failure of the polls could erode the people's confidence in the country's election institution, according to the Asian Network for Free Elections (Anfrel).
Anfrel remains concerned about a repeat of the vote buying and voter intimidation that marred the 2008 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao elections, which it had observed, and said the country should learn from that experience.
Anfrel is composed of civil society organizations, and is supported by organizations from the Philippines, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Pakistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The Bangkok-based group is involved in election observation, voter education, electoral reform and public awareness for good democratic governance.
Anfrel executive director Somsri Hananuntasuk, in an e-mail interview, said it was important to ensure that there will be electoral justice in the country and an equal level playing field in the polls since many eyes will be on the Philippines.
The impact of successful polls could spread to other countries, Hananuntasuk noted.
?The success of the automation system in the Philippines obviously will open the new era of elections modernization that could probably be followed by the neighboring countries,? Hananuntasuk said in an email interview.
She added that successful polls would showcase the country's political stability and credibility, and the capability of the parties involved in the elections.
Anfrel will be sending 32 Asian observers for the May 2010 elections. They will be deployed to several regions, including ?sensitive? areas such as the ARMM.
Hananuntasuk said Anfrel would asses not just the actual polls, but the preparations as well, including the training and the voter education. The group would look at whether the secrecy of votes was safeguarded and manipulation was prevented.
Recalling the 2008 ARMM elections, which had used counting machines, she said that the problems that could arise may not only have to do with the equipment. There were problems related to vote buying, vote secrecy, voter education and the training of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs).
Glitches could also take place when the results are being transmitted to the canvassing centers. She noted that when the machines had bogged down during the ARMM polls, the BEI resorted to manual count, a process open to manipulation.
?We must learn from the ARMM experiences seriously,? she said.
She also said she was interested to see whether the atmosphere in the ARMM would be free of fear and abuse of power during the polls, especially in the aftermath of the Maguindanao massacre, which had resulted in the arrest of members of the powerful Ampatuan clan who had lorded it over the region.
