Arroyo's fraud and violence to mar 2007 elections
By SATUR C. OCAMPO
House Deputy Minority Leader
Bayan Muna Representatives
February 27, 2007

Bayan Muna foresees worse government-instigat ed violence and massive
fraud leading to the May 2007 elections. Mrs. Arroyo is hellbent on
digging into her deep bag of dirty tricks just to keep control of the
House and seek to capture the Senate. Malacanang wants leftist
party-list parties and representatives disqualified, because it will
mean at least six less anti-Arroyo solons and will likewise please the
corrupt and rabid anti-Left militarists in the Cabinet, the AFP and
the PNP.

The hysterical reactions of the fascist military top brass and high
government officials over the Melo report and UN Special Rapporteur
Philip Alston's findings on political killings are bad omens. The
fascists are preparing to kill more critics of Arroyo, as well as to
cheat the people of their votes.

Our independent bloc in the House aims to maintain our current number
of six and capture as more seats in the May 14 elections. Without
fraud and violence, the bloc Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan
and Suara Bangsamoro can obtain the largest possible number of votes
once again. However, malevolent forces under Arroyo plot to frustrate
this objective.

Pursuant to Oplan Bantay Laya 2, which Arroyo publicly approved in
January, the AFP interfere in the elections by blatantly urging the
people NOT to vote for our parties and through proxies seek to
disqualify our parties in the May 14 election. They have started with
the filing of adisqualification case against Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and
Gabriela by purported Akbayan members. The case most likely has been
concocted by the Inter- Agency Legal Action Group (IALAG) headed by
Norberto Gonzales,Arroyo' s national security adviser.

OBL 2 also seeks to mobilize the AFP in a vicious negative campaign
against Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan and Suara
Bangsamoro, even as they campaign for groups such as Akbayan, NAD and
Aksyon Sambayanan (Aksa). Aksa is the party-list group set up by
Gonzales' and Fr Romeo Intengan's PDSP, which failed to win in the
1998 and 2001 elections and delisted by the Comelec in accordance with
the law. Aksa also failed to win in 2004.

We are confident the people can see through ang will trounce this evil
project. They know that the partylist system is a glimmer of hope for
change through the new politics we have advocated since 2001, and they
will resoundingly reelect Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela, along
with Kabataan and Suara as a sign of protest against the fascist acts
- political killings and repression - corruption and bad economic
policies of the Arroyo dispensation.

We cannot discount the probability, as in 2004, that public funds are
now being funnelled into
the campaign of Team Unity and Kampi. We are sure that the same
operators who made possible Arroyo's Hello Garci victory in 2004 will
work even harder and nastier to cheat in a far worse manner.

We express support to independent watchdog Kontra-Daya of Vice
President Teofisto Guingona and Fr. Joe Dizon, and other similar
anti-poll fraud citizens' groups. We have also begun talks towards
mutual assistance and cooperation with candidates of whichever
parties
who are determined to have clean and honest elections in May. ###
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