Akbayan: Melo comments on automation worries are irresponsible

The comments of Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Jose Melo expressing doubt whether the poll body will be able to pull off a fully automated elections were irresponsible, a lawmaker said Tuesday. "To say that the poll body chair's statement is irresponsible is an understatement. On the contrary, it seems to be a prelude of what the May 2010 elections will be like—an election which could either end up as a chaotic, slow and cheat-ridden manual exercise or a total failure altogether," said Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello in a statement. In an ambush interview on Monday, Melo was quoted as saying that "nothing is sure in this life" —referring to questions on the certainty of automation, thus casting serious doubts on the country's first-ever automated polls. (See: Manual elections still a possibility in May - Melo) "This is totally unacceptable. How can the people trust our democratic processes when the election chair himself has no confidence in their capacity, worse, is so unsure of the fate of the automated elections, a process which they have been preparing for the longest time," said Bello. Bello even suggested that Melo might be talking in "doublespeak." "When your poll body chair is saying 'nothing is sure in life' as an answer to serious questions concerning the certainty of automated elections, what he could probably be saying is, 'manual voting and the failure of the exercise all together are the only sure things this elections'," he said. A matter of transparency Comelec spokesman James Jimenez told GMANews.TV in an interview that he understands the sentiments of Rep. Bello. But he said that the poll body is just following its exercise of transparency. "We understand that at this point, the slightest comment can cause fear. But this commission started this project with the principle of full transparency, whether or not it's flattering to us, whether or not it's a campaign that would boost the public's confidence in the Comelec," he said. Moreover, Jimenez said that Melo was just telling the truth. "As far as the chairman is concerned, he is stating a fact. The fact of the matter is, between now and elections, anything can happen," he said. He was quick to note, however, that the poll body chief does not only voice out his fears but also does something about it. "The good thing about the chairman is when he points out something... it means his attention is focused on that, he is determined to solve it," Jimenez said, adding that he hopes the public understands this. "The Comelec is being honest, is being transparent and we hope in the end of the day people will appreciate that at no point during this whole exercise were they misled into thinking that things were rosier than they were," he said. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan/JV, GMANews.TV