Lawmakers in the Bangsamoro are urging political, sectoral, and regional parties to participate in the first-ever regular elections in the autonomous region in 2025.
“The Bangsamoro people will be exercising their right to choose the members of Parliament this coming 2025, or the leaders that will steer the Bangsamoro government for the next three years,” said Member of the Parliament Amir Mawalil in a statement.
“More parties joining the race means more choices for the Bangsamoro people,” he added.
Mawalil, a member of the Bangsamoro People’s Party (BPP), also said having more candidates in the upcoming polls will “allow the people a more diverse set of choices when it comes to voting for political, sectoral and regional parties”.
“The exercise becomes even more democratic as the people will now have equal rights to choose from several parties when they make this important decision in 2025,” he added.
Member of Parliament Rasol Mitmug said that BARMM is now governed by an interim government whose members were appointed by the President.
“In 2025, these members of Parliament will be chosen directly by the people. It would be better if the people will not be limited to choose among two or three dominant parties but from several ones,” Mitmug said.
There are currently a total of 80 members of Parliament that will be voted into office in 2025, half of which, or 40 will come from the party system, not more than 40%, or 32 will come from legislative districts, and at least 10% or 8 will come from sectoral representation.
Mawallil and Mitmug’s party, the BPP, was formed to participate in the coming 2025 elections.
In March 2023, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority passed the
Bangsamoro Electoral Code, which will allow democratic participation in the local and regional elections.
It would also open the creation of political parties in the region with representations from women, youth, indigenous people, settler communities, traditional leaders, and the Ulama.
The first-ever election in the Bangsamoro Region was scheduled to be conducted in May 2022 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. —Sundy Locus/NB, GMA Integrated News
