RP to speed up vote-counting

RP to speed up vote-counting

MANILA (AFP): The Philippines' notorious vote counting system, which often takes six weeks to provide election results, will be speeded up with technology and reforms, President Fidel Ramos said yesterday.

The computerization of the electoral process began last year, Ramos said, but major problems remained. For example, voters must manually write down about 40 names when national, legislative and local elections are held at the same time.

Ramos also said officials would begin a new registration of voters this year, with special identification cards to be issued to curb cheating.

Philippine elections have frequently been marred by reports of violence and cheating. In recent years, there have been charges that the cheating takes place during the counting of votes and not at the polling places as in the past.

The Philippines will hold presidential elections next year.