Holding the First Parliamentary Elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region

The parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BARMM) in the Philippines were held on Monday, marking the first elections since the establishment of this region in 2019. This historic event is seen as a vital step towards self-governance and ending years of conflict and violence in this predominantly Muslim region, where over 2.3 million people are eligible to vote.

Details of the Elections and Number of Seats

In this election, 80 seats are available for determining members of the parliament, the legislative body of the region. Of these, 40 representatives will be elected from political parties, 32 representatives from electoral districts, and 8 representatives from various sectors. Additionally, the regional chief minister, who is responsible for executing affairs, will be elected in the first session of the parliament.

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Security Challenges and Pre-Election Violence

Election officials emphasized that their goal is to achieve at least 80 percent participation in these elections, which had been postponed for several years. However, a day before the elections, deadly violence occurred in the city of Cotabato, resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to 15 others near a polling station. Additionally, in another polling station, four people, including a police officer, were injured by gunfire.

The city of Cotabato was placed under the control of the Commission on Elections, and in the city of Maluso on Basilan Island, this area was also placed under control due to the discovery of pre-filled ballots. George Garcia, the chairman of the Commission on Elections, announced that ballots for the affected districts would be quickly reprinted.

Garcia also promised that those who engage in violence or vote-buying would be prosecuted. He stated, "These elections are based on the struggles of various generations of Bangsamoro for land, identity, and the right to self-determination."

This election marks the end of the transitional period under the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which is a regional interim government appointed in 2019. Bangsamoro was established under a peace agreement signed in 2014, aimed at achieving greater self-governance.

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