Keep faith in polls process, Arroyo urges Filipinos

[bemildred]

Today's chuckle.

MANILA - President Gloria Arroyo has pleaded with voters 'to keep
faith in the election process' as preparations for the May 10 general
election fell into disarray after the Supreme Court struck down the
supply contract for vote-counting machines.

Supreme Court spokesman Ismael Khan said nine of the 14 justices voted
to nullify the contract for 1,991 automated counting machines,
amounting to about 1.3 billion pesos (S$40.3 million), due to bidding
irregularities.

'It was found that the bidding process was defective,' he
told a press conference, adding that the Commission on
Elections did not follow the government's rules on public
bidding and violated even its own rules.

The court also ordered the government prosecutor to determine the
'possible culpability' of commission officials involved in awarding the
contract to Mega Pacific eSolutions, a private consortium, 'though it was
not qualified'.

Staits Times

[Bush loves Jiang]

1. *cough*Diebold*cough*

I hope so. In that case, good fucking riddance.