Party-lists face stricter rules, says Comelec

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it would impose stricter requirements for the filing of certificates of candidacy by party-list groups.

Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said Tuesday that with the number of party-list groups increasing, the poll body would be more stringent in implementing the requirements for accreditation of those organizations.

“Masyado na madaming party-lists. Nakalilito na [There are too many party-list groups. It’s confusing],” Melo said.

During the 2007 midterm elections, there were more than 93 party-list groups that applied for accreditation with the Comelec.

“Ngayon, meron na yatang bagong 80 [Now there are 80 new groups],” Melo added.

But he also said that as long as these groups were legitimate party-lists that represent some marginalized sector of society, the poll body has no choice but to accredit them. He added that it would be against the law for Comelec trim down the list of party-list groups.

Because the 2010 polls are expected to be automated, there might be problems with the ballots if all party-list groups would be accommodated.

During the poll automation demonstration in May, the sample ballots presented to the public by the winning bidder Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) reached longer than three feet, with majority of the space occupied by party-list running.

The deadline for the filing of certificate of candidacy has been set earlier in November so the poll body can prepare for the automation of elections.

Automation contract

Also on Tuesday, Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said that the contract for the P7.2-billion automation project between the poll body and the consortium of Smartmatic and TIM was ready for signing.

“It is already pretty much in the form of what would be signed [by the two parties]. It is just practically crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez added that Friday would possibly be the latest day the consortium would sign the poll-automation contract.

He said they were just waiting for the incorporation papers of the joint venture, which must be approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The joint venture already submitted their requirements for incorporation on Monday after patching up their differences last week.

Smartmatic-TIM won the month-long bidding for the automation project.

But last week, TIM President Jose Mari Antuñez pulled out his firm from the consortium, citing “irreconcilable differences” with Smartmatic. The two firms reconciled on Friday, after the Comelec intervened.

Once the poll-automation contract is signed, Comelec bids committee chair Ferdinand Rafanan said he would immediately issue a Notice to Proceed so that Smartmatic-TIM could start manufacturing the Precinct Count Optical Scan machines that would be used for next year’s polls.

“They will start manufacturing the [voting] machines [in Taiwan],” Rafanan said, adding that the poll body is expecting delivery of the machines from October to February. –Bernice Camille V. Bauzon Reporter, Manila Times