Life's Achievement..

2010 election is fast approaching. Newly elected officials both from the national and local levels will take charge in the next few years of their reign. Part of our tradition is having an election that will choose who among those qualified leaders can be the best ruler of our country. Throughout the history of Philippine elections, never-ending issues on disqualification appeals, cheating scandals and unjustified campaign schemes are always brought under the table.

From the local to the national level, from the lowest to the highest position, results on election returns are always questioned. Come to think of it, was there ever an election that passed where everyone was satisfied? There’s actually none. Political campaigns have always been colorfully dramatic. We always see in some advertisements in television those aspiring candidates seriously knocking every voter’s heart for them to be chosen.

Great caution must be observed upon examining those promises they had for our country. It’s saddening when people only see the immediate advantage but not the long-term improvement. The mentality of the people has been blinded by poverty. Poverty that is caused by long generations of conflict, lack of income resource and unwise governance. People always
blame the government. But it is the people who put them on top of the ladder in the first place. When the undeserving is one step ahead, there is no else to blame.

We are all aware about the automated election in 2010, which was then planned to be implemented. Advantages and disadvantages arise when this automated system for election is implemented. It provides efficient way for voting with less hassle. Voters cannot prolong the process of voting and lined up in a crowd. Its very convenient since we can get the tally immediately rather than to count it by hands. But then it could be the cause to worsen political situation. Possibilities for the candidates can hire computer experts to hack the system and manipulate the entire votes. Unless if the system is fully secured.

There comes an election automation contract to Smartmatic and TIM (Total Information Management). Smartmatic is a multinational company that designs and deploys technological solutions aimed at helping governments fulfill, in the most efficient way, their commitments with
their citizens. It is one of the largest cutting-edge technology suppliers, with a wide and proven experience in the United States, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Smartmatic also aims to help societies become more efficient and transparent, through technological innovations and it is responsible for several top and advanced innovations available in the market around three business areas: electronic auditable voting systems, intelligent and integrated security platforms, and advanced solutions for people registration and authentication for a wide range of government applications. Likewise, it is one of the service providers of the more expensive direct recording electronic system, or touch-screen technology.

Lately, local information technology provider Total Information Management Corp. (TIM) had backed out of a joint venture for election automation, fearing the deal gave its foreign partner unbridled power that could lead to potential abuse, according to an industry source close to TIM. Under the contract between Smartmatic International Corporation and TIM, Commission on Elections would have paid the providers P7.19 billion for the lease of goods and purchase of services. TIM opposes several key provisions in the joint venture agreement as well as in the contract on the 2010 automated election system. Local partners were concerned that TIM had no say on the counting software development, despite being the technical partner, and would be a lame duck if electronic cheating were to occur. There’s a provision in the proposed contract with Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM joint venture which states that: “The providers shall be liable for all their obligations under this project and the performance of portions thereof by other persons or entities not parties to this contract shall not relieve the providers of said obligations and concomitant liabilities.” Since Smartmatic is the provider of great track record in automated elections, it was their responsibility to take charge of the technical aspects of the counting and canvassing, software and hardware, including transmission configuration and system integration.

In the senate hearing, the head of the Filipino partner in the consortium that won the bid for next year’s computerized elections conceded that Smartmatic International would do the bulk of the automation. According to Jose Mari Antuñez, head of local IT provider Total Information Management Corporation, in accordance with an agreement on Friday the joint venture company to be formed with Smartmatic was on a 60-40 basis in favor of TIM. Smartmatic and TIM officials told the Senate that that they had patched up their differences and that they had agreed to a “neutral arbiter”—a Singaporean arbitration court—that would help resolve their conflict should they have another conflict.

If ever the automated election will take place, it is or responsibility to make sure that we used the technology properly. Likewise, it is very much important to have a good decision in terms of choosing a leader. We are definitely responsible for our own future. Our decisions affect the growth of our economy and our actions determine the fate of this country. There is hope for better tomorrow. We must begin by helping ourselves. Doing what is right will help us win this fight. The fight that determines who is going to lead this country to the shore of productivity.
Think. Evaluate. Vote wisely. Make a smart choice as 2010 elections knocks on every Filipino’s door.

References:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090707-214221/Smartmatic-TIM-assure-Senate-problem-settled
Philippine Daily Inquirer