Melo: ‘I’m not fully satisfied with the counting’
Commission on Elections chairman Jose Melo is generally “very satisfied” with the conduct of yesterday’s elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). “It was very well done,” he told Manila-based reporters today.
But he’s “not fully satisfied” with the counting.
“I’m not fully satisfied with the speed. It could have been a little faster,” he said.
Melo is particularly disappointed with the counting in Maguindanao province, which used the Direct Recording Equipment (DRE) technology.
As of 11 a.m. today or 20 hours after the voting precincts closed at 3 p.m. on August 11, Maguindanao has counted 99.3 percent of the votes cast. “It’s a bit slow. I was expecting that it would be faster. Eight hours or so,” Melo said.
DRE technology automates the entire process of voting, transmission and counting. Voters only needed to press the photos of their preferred candidates in the touchscreen. Once the voting is completed, the computers count the votes and trasmit the results electronically to the counting machines.
“We should make it shorter especially because it’s going to be used in the national elections in 2010. The faster the count, the better for everyone,” Melo said. The ARMM election is considered an experiment for the planned automated presidential elections in 2010.
In the whole of ARMM, 67.24 percent of the counting machines have completed transmitting results as of 11 a.m. today. The results were regularly monitored by poll officials in Comelec’s main office in Manila .
Voter turn out: 84 percent
Melo reported that the voter turn out was 84 percent, higher than the projections yesterday. “It’s double the percentage that we said would be good. It’s excellent,” Melo said.
Expectedly, it was slower in the other provinces, which used the Optical Mark Reader (OMR) technology. As of 11 a.m, counting was completed 95.5 percent in Shariff Kabunsuan, 61.80 in Lanao del Sur, 73.20 percent in Basilan, 30.95 percent in Sulu, and 42.7 percent in Tawi-Tawi.
“These are fairly good numbers,” Melo said.
With OMR, only the counting is automated. Voters had to shade circles corresponding to the names of their candidates in the ballots. These ballots are stored in ballot boxes and then transported to the counting centers. In some areas, poll officials said the voting centers may be up to 15 hours away from the counting centers.
Melo explained that big waves in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu, Melo prevented the transportation of ballot boxes from voting precincts to counting centers in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu. “Boxes cannot be transported immediately,” he said.
Eager winners
Melo said proclamation of winning candidates may take place tomorrow. “Hopefully, we will be able to proclaim before 5 p.m. tomorrow,” he said.
“Our people down there are eager to proclaim. There appear to be clear winners already.” Melo said.
However, the counting should be completed 100 percent before the computers can churn out certificates of canvass and certificates of proclamation.
Melo appealed to the eager candidates to wait. ”I don’t want anything to mar this exercise because we’re trying to rush it,” Melo said.
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