NEWSROOM:

PPCRV GOES GLOBAL…PARTICIPATES IN THE ASEAN ELECTION MANAGEMENT BODIES FORUM IN JAKARTA

Details

Written by Ana de Villa Singson

Since most of the democracies in the countries comprising the region evolved from authoritarian rule, a common felt need was to affirm that democracy is a universal value as embedded in the Declaration of Human Rights that “everyone has the right to take part in the government of his/her country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.” This tenet underscores a consequent value that elections create governments and must therefore be free and fair. Our Philippine experience, however, also clearly shows that “free and fair” elections do not necessarily promote genuine democracy. Elections must also be credible and meaningful for these to become the transformative dynamic from which democracies continuously evolve. Electoral reforms for the ASEAN Electoral Community identified 6 pillars: 1) Gender Equality and Elections, 2) Citizens Participation in Elections, 3) Political Party and Campaign Finance, 4) Electoral Justice, 5) Election-Related Conflict and Violence, 6) Elections and Technology. PPCRV actively participated in the workshops and in the consensus gathering/writing of the JAKARTA DECLARATION on SOUTH-EAST ASIAN ELECTORAL COMMUNITY 2011. The ASEAN Forum was a wider venue for spreading the good news of CHAMP (Clean Honest Accurate Meaningful Peaceful) Elections . . . for PPCRV CHAMP is CHRIST.