First parliamentary elections are being held in the Bangsamoro region of the southern Philippines
Historic parliamentary elections are taking place in the Muslim region, which gained autonomy after decades of conflicts, as one of the most important steps of the peace process.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in the southern Philippines, with a predominantly Muslim population, is heading to the polls for its first-ever parliamentary elections after decades of insurgency and clashes.
Peace Agreement and Historical Background
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region was established through a 2014 peace agreement signed in exchange for broader autonomy by the largest Muslim rebel group, which abandoned its goal of establishing a separate state in the south of the Catholic-majority country. Under the agreement, it was decided that the group's 40,000 fighters would lay down their weapons and reintegrate into civilian life.
Security Measures and Incidents
While more than 20,000 soldiers and police officers were deployed for the elections, troops carrying long-barreled weapons patrolled the roadsides. Election Commission Chairman Erwin Garcia announced that Cotabato City had been placed under commission control following an armed attack late Sunday that resulted in three deaths and 15 injuries.
Ballot Crisis and Developments in Maluso
In the Maluso municipality of Basilan, pre-marked ballots were found in 36 out of 68 ballot boxes. Commission Chairman Garcia ordered the immediate reprinting of ballots for the affected boxes and announced that voting in these areas had been postponed.
Region Structure and Election Details
The region, which has approximately 2.4 million registered voters, consists of five provinces, three cities, and 63 villages. There are 80 seats up for election to determine the members of parliament, and officials stated they expect an 80 percent voter turnout following the voting process that had been postponed several times previously.