Waste of P11B in taxpayers’ money FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 05/11/2010

Waste of P11B in taxpayers’ money

FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 05/11/2010 Comelec and its partner, Smartmatic, aren’t likely to admit that the conduct of 2010 automated polls was a big mess, and a failure in automation. It is almost certain that all the reported mess in various precincts nationwide, whether it was the breakdown of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines, or their non-functioning machines which led to more and more delays for the voters to exercise their right, the disenfranchisement of many voters, and even oversized ballots, plus the wrong ballots surfacing in certain precincts, along with many more instances of snafus, is going to be dismissed as “isolated incidents,” and not reflective of the “success” of automated polls nationwide. But the truth is, the automated polls are a failed electoral exercise, mainly because the Comelec officials, blinded by the huge poll budget of some P11 billion, wanted nationwide automated polls, even when they were not ready for this and even as they refused to conduct the polls under an entirely new voting system. And these Comelec officials, so incompetent already under the old system of voting, insisted on conducting the electoral exercise about which they knew nothing — relying completely on what Smartmatic tells them.... MORE  Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100511com2.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Incompetence, thy name is Comelec FRONTLINE Waste of P11B in taxpayers’ money focus Poll chaos throws spotlight on creaking British system VIEWPOINTS Oath AN OUTSIDERS VIEW That other election FEATURE Anwar’s accuser to be grilled in Malaysian sodomy trial FEATURE Gangs become father, mother to Haiti’s forlorn orphans focus Euro countries square up to change