RIYADH: Filipinos monitoring the ongoing Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) have urged the embassy to extend the date for voting for the country’s presidential elections until May 12 in view of the poor turnout being witnessed currently.
Thousands of overseas Filipino voters (OFVs) are being unable to vote due to logistic problems and restrictions at the voting venues. In such a scenario, voting is now taking place in the heavily guarded Diplomatic Quarters in Riyadh.
A copy of the statement obtained by Arab News has urged the Philippine Embassy through the Commission on Election that the polling booths should be set up outside the embassy premises and made accessible to the Philippines Overseas Labor Office (POLO-OWWA) or Philippine Embassy schools, a common venue for all Filipinos on such occasions.
The Philippine Consulate in Jeddah has set up mobile polling booths in Khamis Mushait. The statement said such a practice can also be followed in the capital.
Saidali M. Malic, secretary-general of Duterte Middle East Movement (DMEM), said there are 113,984 officially registered OFWs voters in Riyadh. “Despite 20 days of campaign, the turnout is still below the minimum level.”
Official figures indicate that an estimated 12,478 (12.5 percent) of the OFWs cast their votes, which is way below the expected figure of at least 50 percent of voters in Riyadh alone. The situation is similar in other countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region, with statistics indicating a turnout of below 15 percent.
Malic said, these figures are attributed to the polling dates and timings during the working hours. The problem was further compounded by security arrangements at the tightly guarded polling booths inside the embassy compound.
“There are registration complaints, invalid votes, and other voting issues which are still pending for action that somehow have delayed the voting process,” he added.
Thousands of overseas Filipino voters (OFVs) are being unable to vote due to logistic problems and restrictions at the voting venues. In such a scenario, voting is now taking place in the heavily guarded Diplomatic Quarters in Riyadh.
A copy of the statement obtained by Arab News has urged the Philippine Embassy through the Commission on Election that the polling booths should be set up outside the embassy premises and made accessible to the Philippines Overseas Labor Office (POLO-OWWA) or Philippine Embassy schools, a common venue for all Filipinos on such occasions.
The Philippine Consulate in Jeddah has set up mobile polling booths in Khamis Mushait. The statement said such a practice can also be followed in the capital.
Saidali M. Malic, secretary-general of Duterte Middle East Movement (DMEM), said there are 113,984 officially registered OFWs voters in Riyadh. “Despite 20 days of campaign, the turnout is still below the minimum level.”
Official figures indicate that an estimated 12,478 (12.5 percent) of the OFWs cast their votes, which is way below the expected figure of at least 50 percent of voters in Riyadh alone. The situation is similar in other countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region, with statistics indicating a turnout of below 15 percent.
Malic said, these figures are attributed to the polling dates and timings during the working hours. The problem was further compounded by security arrangements at the tightly guarded polling booths inside the embassy compound.
“There are registration complaints, invalid votes, and other voting issues which are still pending for action that somehow have delayed the voting process,” he added.
