By Carmela Fonbuena
www.newsbreak.com.ph
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Representatives of the European Union on Tuesday met with Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair Jose Melo to monitor the progress of the automation of the 2010 polls.
“We met a team of about 13 commissioners. They were in full force. They are showing very great interest in the coming 2010 poll elections. They are asking a lot of questions,” Melo told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.
The EU team was led by the head of the delegation Ambassador Alistair MacDonald and Czech Republic Ambassador Jaroslav Ludva. Melo was joined by National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) chair Henrietta De Villa.
Barely a year before the May 2010 presidential polls, the Comelec is in the thick of preparing for the automation. Melo said he reported to the EU members that the Advisory Council—which is tasked to oversee the technical aspect of the poll automation—is set to finalize on Friday the terms of reference for the project bidders.
Melo said he is happy with the interest shown by foreign institutions like the EU. “They might send foreign observers. We welcome them,” he said.
Melo believes that the presence of foreign observers helps in ensuring a cleaner election.
Asked if there are other international groups who have shown interest in the 2010 poll automation, Melo said he is also counting on the Asian Network for Free Elections to come again in 2010. The Asian group has been regularly sending delegates in the Philippines to observe elections.
Melo earlier said he was pleased that a bill allotting a supplemental budget of P11.3 billion for the 2010 poll automation is finally filed in Congress.
After months of sitting on the budget allocation, Malañang on January 9 finally submitted to Congress supplemental budget. Appropriations committee chair Quirino Rep. Junie Cua immediately the necessary bill, which House Speaker Prospero Nograles said will be fast tracked for approval as soon as Congress resumes session next week, June 19. (abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak)
www.newsbreak.com.ph
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Representatives of the European Union on Tuesday met with Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair Jose Melo to monitor the progress of the automation of the 2010 polls.
“We met a team of about 13 commissioners. They were in full force. They are showing very great interest in the coming 2010 poll elections. They are asking a lot of questions,” Melo told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.
The EU team was led by the head of the delegation Ambassador Alistair MacDonald and Czech Republic Ambassador Jaroslav Ludva. Melo was joined by National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) chair Henrietta De Villa.
Barely a year before the May 2010 presidential polls, the Comelec is in the thick of preparing for the automation. Melo said he reported to the EU members that the Advisory Council—which is tasked to oversee the technical aspect of the poll automation—is set to finalize on Friday the terms of reference for the project bidders.
Melo said he is happy with the interest shown by foreign institutions like the EU. “They might send foreign observers. We welcome them,” he said.
Melo believes that the presence of foreign observers helps in ensuring a cleaner election.
Asked if there are other international groups who have shown interest in the 2010 poll automation, Melo said he is also counting on the Asian Network for Free Elections to come again in 2010. The Asian group has been regularly sending delegates in the Philippines to observe elections.
Melo earlier said he was pleased that a bill allotting a supplemental budget of P11.3 billion for the 2010 poll automation is finally filed in Congress.
After months of sitting on the budget allocation, Malañang on January 9 finally submitted to Congress supplemental budget. Appropriations committee chair Quirino Rep. Junie Cua immediately the necessary bill, which House Speaker Prospero Nograles said will be fast tracked for approval as soon as Congress resumes session next week, June 19. (abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak)
Comments
I found your blog by chance while researching for Miguel Syjuco. I Love your blog I thought it's informational and I've been reading your post about the 2010 National election.
I'm Mae Williams, I volunteer for a "Non for Profit" Filipino organisation in London, UK called Philippine Generations. We are led by young professional individual in the UK, we are currently helping the Philippine Embassy to spread the word about our National Election in 2010 specially to the younger generation as they are eager to make some changes back home but due lack of information and notices they often left untold and slowly forgetting their motherland.
We have just started to register voters here in the UK but unfortunately we do not have anymore information about who's running the election or any other current news etc. I'm glad I found your blog, maybe you can shine some light about what is actually happening about our election back home.
Please feel free tovisit our blog http://philippinegenerations.blogspot.com/
Speak to you soon!
Kind regards,
Mae