RP Muslims vote for new leader<\/p>\n
Mynardo Macaraig, Agence France-Presse, Zamboanga, Philippines<\/p>\n
Filipino Muslims in a poor autonomous region in the southern
\nPhilippines voted on Monday for a new governor while the
\nincumbent faced extended detention in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Nur Misuari, governor of the Autonomous Region for Muslim
\nMindanao (ARMM), spent his third day in a Malaysian prison as
\nKuala Lumpur mulled over the prospect of charging him for illegal
\nentry.<\/p>\n
Misuari was arrested on Saturday in the east Malaysian state
\nof Sabah, where he had escaped after allegedly leading a bloody
\nrevolt in the southern Philippine island of Jolo that left more
\nthan 100 people dead.<\/p>\n
As Misuari sat in a Malaysian jail, residents across five
\nprovinces in the ARMM cast their votes Monday to elect key
\nofficials amid tight security.<\/p>\n
Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Alfredo Benipayo
\nsaid that up to 90 percent of the more than one million
\nregistered voters took part in the elections in the impoverished
\nand rebellion-torn region.<\/p>\n
The process would choose Misuari's successor as ARMM governor,
\na vice governor and three district representatives for each of
\nthe eight legislative districts of the 24-seat regional assembly.<\/p>\n
\"Now that Misuari is out, people are free to go to the polling
\nplaces,\" said southern Philippines military chief Lt. Gen. Roy
\nCimatu.<\/p>\n
Suspected Misuari followers attacked a military outpost near
\nBuldon town, a school near Parang town and the public market in
\nthe town of Shariff Aguak on the main island of Mindanao shortly
\nbefore the balloting began, but there were no casualties and
\nthere was minimal damage, officials said.<\/p>\n
Polling was suspended in certain villages amid allegations of
\ncheating. Results are scheduled to be tallied overnight.<\/p>\n
\"We're happy that so far there have been no casualties,\" said
\npresidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao in Manila.<\/p>\n
\"There have been incidents which apparently have been
\nundertaken by groups which are intent in having this democratic
\nexercise stopped. But despite that, the PNP (national police) and
\nthe AFP (armed forces) have reported to us that things are under
\ncontrol,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Ibrahim Paglas, an independent candidate for governor, accused
\nthe government of stuffing ballot boxes with fraudulent votes for
\nhis government-backed rival Parouk Hussin who denied the
\nallegation.<\/p>\n
\"The stakes here are different from an ordinary local
\nelection,\" said Eduardo Ermita, a senior adviser to President
\nGloria Arroyo.<\/p>\n
He said the international community, particularly the 57-
\nnation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), was
\nmonitoring the elections -- the final phase of a 1996 peace
\nagreement signed between Manila and Misuari's rebel group Moro
\nNational Liberation Front (MNLF).<\/p>\n
The foreign parties want to ensure that the Philippine
\ngovernment adhered to its \"commitment\" to give a political voice
\nto the marginalized 3.5 million Muslims in this largely Roman
\nCatholic archipelago of 78 million people, he added.<\/p>\n
The Arroyo government has said a successful election would
\npush the 60-year-old Misuari to the political fringe.<\/p>\n
Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said Malaysian Prime Minister
\nMahathir Mohamad had asked Arroyo what should be done with
\nMisuari.<\/p>\n
\"She replied that he (Misuari) should be tried under the laws
\nof Malaysia, and then (deported) after serving his sentence
\nthere,\" Perez said.<\/p>\n
Cimatu said that more than 100 Misuari followers in Jolo have
\n\"started sending surrender feelers.\"<\/p>\n
At least 40 others surrendered in Zamboanga city overnight
\nafter a week-long standoff with the military at a government
\ncompound, he added.<\/p>",
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