Four months before the filing of certificates of candidacy, a coalition of socio-civic groups is moving full speed to find its own “non-traditional” candidate for the upcoming 2010 elections.

Their shortlist so far includes some familiar names in the political scene: local government leaders Ed Panlilio, Jesse Rebredo, and Grace Padaca; Chief Justice Reynato Puno; religious leader Eddie Villanueva; and rebel general Danny Lim. But it also includes some well respected but lesser known personalities such as Nicanor Perlas, Ed Dorotan, Ed Ramos, Pablo Trillana, JC de los Reyes, and Alex Lacson.

Of those in the shortlist, only Puno, Villanueva and Panlilio are figuring in the presidential surveys. And if elections were held today, none of the three would get more than one percent the votes, surveys indicate.

But the group has big plans on how to drum up support for the candidate they will eventually choose—by making the contenders go through a process they dubbed as the ‘People’s Primaries.’

Like the US Primaries

“This (primaries) gives them (non-traditional candidates) a chance to participate in a process that will in effect consolidate the non-traditional voters into a bloc that will support just one non-traditional candidate,” Camara added.

The People’s Primaries is one of the programs of Movement for Good Governance (MGG), an election reform group which launched itself late last year. Other programs include voters’ registration and education, overseas absentee voting, and a series of town hall meetings where aspirants discuss key issues of national concern.

Patterned on the United States’ Primary System, the People’s Primaries is in the process of creating a district-based screening and voting process that will name a Presidential candidate for next year’s national elections.

The group targets involve at least 10 million voters to participate in the process. But unlike its US counterpart, the primaries only cater to non-traditional politicians.

Currently, People’s Primaries is opening its doors for nominations of non-traditional candidates who are willing to participate in the primaries.

Encouraging more aspirants

According to Philip Camara of the Magnificat Movement, “any organization can nominate their presidential candidate” for the primaries and these aspirants will be screened by a “credible” body.

The screening committee will be composed of Bro. Roly Dizon, Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, Bishop Reynaldo Cristobal, Sixto Roxas, Nene Guevara, Tony Roldan, and Dr. Nina Galang.
 
According to Camara, 5 candidates “are already on the verge” of joining the primaries but any candidate endorsed by a group can join.
 
“Anybody [can] participate in the primaries. As long as they pass the set candidate criteria, then they will be screened by the council,” Ricky Xavier, spokesperson of the People’s Primaries, said.
 
According to Sixto Roxas, the process also aims to unite reform partisan groups and to hopefully find one definite alternative candidate to support for President.
 
As the playing field is not equal, the People’s Primaries would be a way to encourage more aspirants to run for the highest seat of office.
 
“There might be outstanding non-traditional candidates who are hesitant to throw their hats into the ring because there is no such process,” Camara said. He also added that with the primaries, aspirants need not spend too much money to reach different districts.
 
Once one candidate emerged in the primaries, Camara and Xavier affirmed that they will support this candidate all throughout the election campaign. Through the People’s Primaries, a political party will hopefully evolve in the united effort of the partisan groups.

Those who participated in the party do not necessarily become members of the said political party or coalition “but they can be there to support in one way or another.”
 
Voting through text

The People’s Primaries is batting to get 10 million voters to participate in the process through an SMS-voting and tallying system. The group earlier contended that ten million is a good base number for any aspirants who intend to win the elections.
 
Once the screening committee has evaluated the candidates, they will be introduced to the voting districts through a campaign that will last from Sept. 7 to Oct. 15, 2009.
 
Like American primaries, the final results will be decided based on the number of “electoral votes” a candidate gets. One electoral vote needs to have a minimum of 1,000 voters in one district. Each district can have a maximum of 12 electoral votes.
 
Electoral votes for each district will be awarded to the highest ranking aspirant but Camara said they are still keeping the actual number of votes for the run-offs.
 
“[Run-offs will be based on] both the electoral and the popularity votes. The standard is the one who gets 50% of the electoral vote, wins,” he explained. “Let’s say there’s a total of 1,000 electoral votes, if somebody got 501, he will be the alternative candidate.”
 
If the votes are slimly distributed to the candidates, the People’s Primaries will pick the two highest and do a run-off. “If that happens, we might look into the popularity votes.” He added however that they don’t expect that to happen.
 
150 districts

The first run of the voting will be held from October 15 to 30. Voting will be done through SMS. When a voters registers through mobile, the system will check whether the person is indeed registered with the Commission on Elections. Once confirmed, he or she will be issued a voting control number (VCN).
 
A registered voter with VCN can only vote once. The votes will be consolidated and the winning candidate will hopefully be proclaimed by end of Oct. 2009, a month before the deadline of filing of COCs on Nov. 30, 2009.

On Nov. 15, the group will hold a convention of district representatives and will complete the slots for the Vice-President and the 12 senators.
 
The People’s Primaries is targeting to operate district working groups in 150 districts before Aug. 6, 2009. The coalition currently has 40 district working groups. From Aug. 6 to Sept. 6, these working groups will broaden their participants or look for aspirants who can join the primaries, says Camara.
 
“We expect [that the number] will jump very quickly especially with the inclusion of the partisan groups,” he noted. - abs-cbnNEWS.com