Peaceful transfer in the Philippines

Congratulations are due to the 32 million people of the Philippines. They have conducted another free national election. This event is not as easy, nor as common, as it should be in our neighborhood, but the Filipinos have shown again just how free their politics are. Although it will be a couple of weeks before official results are in, they have apparently elected as president a man opposed by the government, business and church. Joseph Estrada, the former actor, appears to have won the top job. He is the first candidate in nearly 50 years to come from outside the political establishment.

The election was raucous and joyous in that uniquely Filipino manner. It was also huge, with nearly 64,000 candidates on ballots around the country running for 17,426 jobs, ranging from national president to village councilor. Mostly, it was peaceful. The communists and the Muslim separatists mostly stood back and allowed the elections to proceed. In an ironic incident in Manila, communist terrorists kidnapped and threatened an election official who they felt was a cheater. It may have been the first time the communists had terrorized in favor of clean democracy.

Official counting of ballots can take weeks. But the apparent winner of the presidential elections is Joseph Estrada. His vice president is likely to be glamorous Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In the Filipino system, president and vice president can come from different parties. The two new officials could come from different worlds.

The Filipinos have emphasized their commitment to democracy with last Monday's massive elections. Quite accidentally, they also have punctuated that commitment by the timing. As citizens in the Philippines headed to the polls to vote against their establishment, many Indonesians headed to the barricades to oppose theirs. The Filipinos voted, celebrated and returned to the security of their homes. The Indonesians, just an archipelago away, tried to face down police bullets and truncheons.

Come June 30, Mr. Estrada will take over the administration of the Philippines. The outgoing president, Fidel Ramos, will be a tough act to follow. Whether Filipinos have voted wisely remains to be seen. Thais congratulate the Filipinos for another successful election. The peaceful transfer of power is a process of which all democracies can be rightly proud.

-- The Bangkok Post