Let Bangsamoro have its say

Let Bangsamoro have its say For the Bangsamoro people, today, Sept. 14, is more than election day. It is a demonstration of what peace makes possible when guns give way to ballots. For the first time since the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), its people will choose the lawmakers who will lead their regional government. Some 2.4 million registered voters are expected to elect 80 members of the Bangsamoro Parliament, replacing the appointed members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. There is no overstating the importance of this milestone. The self-governing region was born from a peace process that took almost two decades of negotiations and produced the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2014. The elections are therefore not just about determining which party wins the most seats but making sure that the will of the Bangsamoro electorate prevails over violence and political coercion. Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua aptly described the election as the “full exercise of the people’s sovereign will” and the formal transition from an interim government to a democratically elected parliament. There is room for both hope and caution. Election hotspots The Commission on Elections has been preparing for the complicated first parliamentary vote, while the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections has assessed the poll body as ready in terms of its technical and logistical preparations. Security forces have mobilized to secure the elections. Thousands of additional police and military personnel have been deployed, particularly in areas classified as election hotspots, to protect the people’s right to make their democratic choice “freely, safely, and without fear, intimidation, or undue influence.” That is the standard by which these elections should be judged. But even under an election gun ban, violence has persisted. Dozens of gun-related incidents have been recorded in the region since the ban took effect on July 16, leaving tens of people dead and several others wounded, according to the regional police. The Aug. 15 attack on Macacua’s convoy, where investigators recovered 81 shells from high-powered firearms, was a disturbing reminder of the dangers surrounding the political contest. And the threats do not come only from guns. Competing visions Traditional political clans remain influential, while former combatants and groups linked to rival political movements have thrown their hats in the ring. The first parliamentary elections have brought together parties and people representing competing visions for the region’s future, with the United Bangsamoro Justice Party, the political arm of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), facing challengers including the Bangsamoro Federalist Party and the BARMM Grand Coalition. For those reasons, today’s contest is among the most consequential political developments in the region. But it must remain a contest, not a conflict. Every candidate and party must accept that guns, goons, and gold must not get the final word. Otherwise, all those years of fighting for Bangsamoro self-determination would have been for naught. The democratic institutions now being built are among the most important fruits of the peace agreement. They must not become another arena for settling old scores or perpetuating the politics of intimidation. The same responsibility rests with the national government. MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal has framed the election as a litmus test for both the Bangsamoro and the national government: “Will it respect and uphold the provisions of the BOL (Bangsamoro Organic Law) on elections and autonomy?” The answer should be an unequivocal yes. Respect the result That means allowing Bangsamoro voters to choose freely, ensuring that poll officials remain impartial and that security forces protect voters without becoming instruments of political influence. It also means that those who end up losing must accept the result. The first elected parliament must turn the promise of autonomy into better basic services, jobs, and economic opportunities while advancing transitional justice and the remaining commitments under the peace agreement. The new parliamentary system, in which the chief minister will be chosen by the legislature rather than directly by voters, will itself require a new political culture based on accountability, compromise, and respect for institutions. The Bangsamoro peace process has demonstrated that seemingly intractable conflicts will yield to dialogue, patience, and political courage. Today’s elections offer another opportunity to prove it. When the votes are counted, let every candidate and every party respect the result, for this election is not about who has the strongest clan or the biggest machinery. It is about giving the people of the Bangsamoro the right they have long fought for: to choose their own leaders and, through them, to shape their own future. /cb