In a protest action at the office of the Commission on Elections, Nacionalista-Makabayan senatorial candidate Liza Maza today held the COMELEC accountable for reneging on its mandate to fulfill honest and credible elections amid various reports of errors and glitches in the PCOS machines and ballots, especially during the test runs conducted the past few days.
“With only a few days to go before the elections, the automated elections with COMELEC’s partner Smartmatic have all gone problematic. The Commission is liable for the serious doubts on the credibility of the elections, as well as for the looming irregularities and lack of contingency measures in the event that these errors and glitches have not been addressed,” Maza said.
Maza stressed that the recall of the compact flash cards, the most recent of the whole gamut of automated elections problems, is a prelude to the failure of the May 10 elections. The senatorial candidate pointed out the impossibility and impracticability of changing 76,000 cards just five days before the elections, and that is just one of the many problems that need to be addressed by the COMELEC.
“Seemingly, the stage is being set for the elections to fail to pave the way for the extension of Pres. Arroyo’s rule in power. We are calling on all opposition groups and individuals to be vigilant and to act against all moves to retain the current administration, “ Maza asserted.
*http://lizamaza.com/balita/2010/may/06/comelec-reneged-its-mandate-maza
