THE MAY 2004 ELECTIONS: ASSESSMENTS
Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening

Introduction

After nearly two decades of multi-party democracy, the 2004 elections reflect the accomplishments and challenges to democratic development in the Philippines. Filipinos courageously demonstrated their commitment to democracy in the "people power" movement of 1986, when millions of citizens joined in non-violent mass demonstration against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and the widespread fraud during the historic snap elections of that year. In January 2001, "people power" was resurrected to remove Joseph Estrada, a former motion picture actor, from the presidency. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's government then came under pressure due to sharp political divisions and local military unrest, illustrated by the coup attempt launched by 300 Filipino soldiers in July 2003. As the stability of the Philippine political system remains uncertain, government, political parties, and civil society now must create an environment where transfers of power take place through the ballot box rather tthan in the streets, and pursue reforms to stem the public's growing cynicism regarding the credibility of the election process and the legitimacy of elected institutions and officials.

Representatives of the International Republican Institute (IRI), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), and IFES were present in the Philippines from April 25, 2004 through July 31, 2004 and followed political developments in the country during the pre-election, Election Day, and immediate post-election periods. The three organizations had conducted a pre-election assessment in March to determine the extent to which they could support the integrity of the electoral process before and after the May 10 Philippine presidential and legislative elections. Both the assessment and the subsequent mission were funded by the United States Agency for International Development.

IRI, NDI, and IFES representatives went to the Philippines to express an interest in and evince support for a democratic election process, to assess the electoral conditions and political environment in which the national elections were held, and to offer an accurate and impartial report on the entire election process. This report summarizes the findings made by those in the Philippines during the election period as well as observations offered to the representatives by Filipino political and civil society actors and election administrators. Given the limited scale of the IRI, NDI, and IFES efforts, the three organizations are not in a position to make any overall assessment as to whether the election results reflect the will of the peoples. This report sets forth the observations and findings of the three organizations and puts forward recommendations regarding possible areas of electoral and political party reform.

This report is offered in the spirit of international cooperation and in recognition of the fact that it is the people of the Philippines who ultimately must determine the credibility of these elections and priorities for future reforms. Stakeholders interested in electoral reform in the Philippines are encouraged to review the detailed findings, conclusions and recommendations in each of the partner reports of the electoral situation in the country.

Summary of Observations

There were positive factors in the electoral process which included the following:

• Civic participation in the electoral process was exemplified by high voter turnout, the presence of more than 700,000 domestic election volunteer monitors fielded nationwide by the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) and the Parish Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), and involvement of local media monitoring groups.
• The effort of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) on Election Day and throughout the canvass was commendable. This arduous process was conducted under less than ideal circumstances and this group, comprised primarily of teachers, performed in a professional and commendable manner.
• The Philippines has democratic institutions such as an independent judiciary that addressed challenges to the democratic process that occurred during the election period. The Supreme Court rendered decisions on Comelec operations and commissioners, as well as to the candidacy of a leading Presidential candidate.
• The Philippine Congress, despite numerous procedural challenges, persisted with the canvas and was able to declare a President. Throughout this period, the Philippine people retained their faith in the system overall and rejected calls by detractors to take to the streets in the name of "people power."
• Multiple political parties presented candidates for office in all levels of government. No one political party dominates the political environment. While parties need to strengthen their ability to function as political institutions between elections, they are able to raise funds and mobilize support for their chosen candidates.
• Freedom of expression for citizens is generally guaranteed and a wide variety of media — print, radio, internet and television — freely covered all aspects of the election.

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