Australia, NZ, Asian observers congratulate RP on polls

MANILA, Philippines - Australia and New Zealand yesterday congratulated the Philippines on the successful conduct of its first automated national elections this week and looked forward to a smooth transition of government.

Ambassador Rod Smith said “the strong voter turnout and participation by volunteers and civil society were a powerful expression of the Philippines’ commitment to democracy.”

“While incidences of political violence were deeply regrettable, it was welcome that levels of violence were lower than in past elections,” Smith said.

The Australian embassy staff participated in a joint Election Visits Program with Indonesia and Japan under the auspices of the Bali Democracy Forum.

The Australian embassy deployed 16 observers to 12 provinces across the country.

“Australia looks forward to a smooth political transition and to working with the new administration when it takes office, building on the substantial and positive relations we now enjoy,” Smith added.

New Zealand ambassador Andrew Matheson said they “are extremely pleased to see that the new automated election system appears to have succeeded beyond the expectations of many.”

“This achievement is a remarkable one, and one that we trust will be built on in future elections. There are still lessons to be learned and improvements to be made, but this first step has been significant. We look forward to working with the new Philippine administration,” he said.

International election observer the Asian Network for Free Election (ANFREL) said the polls were generally acceptable although there were irregularities in the remote southern regions.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) also lauded the success of the automated polls.

“The peaceful conduct of the 2010 elections owing largely to the country’s first foray into an automated polling system is a large factor in maintaining investor confidence in the stock market and ensuring political continuity that is a key impetus for growth,” PSE chairman Hans Sicat said.

Following the May 10 elections, the main PSE index (PSEi) recorded its highest percentage gain in more than eight months on May 11.

The PSEi closed at 3262.93 on May 11, surging by 120.87 points or 3.85 percent, its biggest percentage gain after Aug. 24, 2009 when it recorded a gain of 5.11 percent.

Meanwhile, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III received more than half of the votes cast by absentee voters in Australia while his running mate Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II also dominated his opponents based on results released yesterday.

Aquino won 585 votes of the 1,094 ballots cast with the Philippine embassy in Canberra and the Philippine consulate general in Sydney.

There are 1,161 overseas absentee voters registered with the embassy, including those who signed up during the mobile registration in other states except New South Wales.   – With Ann Corvera, Reuters