Broken ballot machines mar Filipino poll
Source: Agencies |
May 11, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
PROBLEMS with some ballot machines kept Filipino voters, including the leading presidential candidate, waiting hours yesterday, but authorities said that would not disrupt the election of a successor to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who can't run because of term limits.
Violence in some remote and rural areas, including bomb blasts and shootings, and allegations of vote buying also marred the ballot for nearly 18,000 local and national posts.
Presidential frontrunner Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino had to wait about four hours to vote on a hot and humid day and long queues formed at other ballot stations as some voting machines malfunctioned.
"It's super disorganised. There's no order. Been queuing for more than an hour and the line is at least 50 metres long. It's the worst election by far," said 42-year-old Armand Juele.
The use of a new and untested automated voting system is a major risk.
"There have been several reports of PCOS (voting) machines malfunctioning and others have been destroyed in what is presumably normal Philippine election day intimidation and harassment," consultancy Pacific Strategies & Assessments said.
At least seven people have been killed since Saturday on Mindanao, where 57 people died last November in an election-related massacre, and there were a number of incidents of shootings and explosions yesterday.
Opinion polls showed Aquino as a clear leader in the race for the presidency ahead of former president Joseph Estrada and Senator Manny Villar.
Violence in some remote and rural areas, including bomb blasts and shootings, and allegations of vote buying also marred the ballot for nearly 18,000 local and national posts.
Presidential frontrunner Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino had to wait about four hours to vote on a hot and humid day and long queues formed at other ballot stations as some voting machines malfunctioned.
"It's super disorganised. There's no order. Been queuing for more than an hour and the line is at least 50 metres long. It's the worst election by far," said 42-year-old Armand Juele.
The use of a new and untested automated voting system is a major risk.
"There have been several reports of PCOS (voting) machines malfunctioning and others have been destroyed in what is presumably normal Philippine election day intimidation and harassment," consultancy Pacific Strategies & Assessments said.
At least seven people have been killed since Saturday on Mindanao, where 57 people died last November in an election-related massacre, and there were a number of incidents of shootings and explosions yesterday.
Opinion polls showed Aquino as a clear leader in the race for the presidency ahead of former president Joseph Estrada and Senator Manny Villar.
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