RP leader accuses opposition of holding democracy hostage

RP leader accuses opposition of holding democracy hostage

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday accused the opposition of holding hostage the country's democratic system by delaying the congressional canvassing of votes from last month's elections.

"The truth is that the opposition has been holding the people and the democratic system hostage through unwarranted stonewalling," she said in a statement.

Arroyo urged the opposition to exercise statesmanship and called for a speedy tally of votes from the May 10 elections.

"We expect from the opposition to act with statesmanship," she said. "It is time to move forward."

As mandated by the country's constitution, only Congress can tally the votes and proclaim the winners for the two highest positions in the land.

A congressional committee tallying the votes for president and vice president has been moving at snail pace due to objections raised by opposition lawmakers.

The constitution also set June 30 for the date of the inauguration of the new president and vice president but until early Monday the Congress has only tallied 55 of the 176 certificates of canvass containing the votes counted in the provincial level.

Analysts expressed concern that if no new president is inaugurated June 30, the country could face a constitutional crisis.

Unofficial tallies and exit polls showed Arroyo winning by a slim margin over her closest rival, opposition candidate actor Fernando Poe Junior.

But Poe's camp has accused the Arroyo administration of rigging the polls and vowed to present evidence before Congress to prove their allegations. -- DPA