Kazalimbago to lead covenant signing in LDS

For clean, honest, orderly, peaceful barangay polls

Photo shows then Col. Macasero in an electoral reform consultations with Kazalimbago movement composed of multi-sector leaders in Lanao del Sur when he was commander of Marawi-based 103rd Brigade. RSP

MARAWI CITY: The Kazalimbago Movement together with the military, police, election officers, and civil society leaders will steer next month (May) the peace covenant signing of candidates for elective barangay positions in Lanao del Sur on May 14, 2018 aimed to have a clean, honest, orderly and peaceful election.

The peace covenant signing has been a priority program of the Kazalimbago Movement since it was founded years back to help maintain peace and order during elections. It has been leading in facilitating the covenant. 

The movement evolved from an electoral reform program, a brainchild of Lanao del Sur People’s Council (LDSPC), an umbrella organization of civil society organizations in Lanao del Sur and Marawi City, in order to address urgent problems of violence and massive irregularities that came to characterize the exercise of elections in the area. 

A copy of its Protocol furnished to Ranao Star, said: 

“As an outcome of their intervention, the registration ‘hakot’ system (the practice of recruiting registrants from outside of the province and city) and flying voters (the practice of illegal multiple registration in different precincts using different names) have been successfully controlled if not totally eliminated. 

“Owing to this electoral reform success in the voter’s registration phase of elections, the ELECTORAL REFORM GROUP decided to make their mutual engagement more permanent and to change their name into its vernacular form KAZALIMBAGO TASK FORCE. 

Former RLA assemblywoman, BTC commissioner and incumbent Kazalimbago chairperson Samira Gutoc-Tomawis. RSP

“From the very beginning, the LDSPC has been acting as Secretariat. 

“In January 2013, the KAZALIMBAGO Task Force still mainly focusing on its electoral reform agenda launched the KAALIMBAGO SA ELECTION, a summit conference. This summit attended by an impressive array of GO, NGO, CSO, FBO, traditional leaders, the academe, women and youth organization, PO’s, military and civilian and notably regional and national government offices and leaders, defined the multi-sectoral character of KAZALIMBAGO. 

“In recognition of the massive impact of the participation of all stakeholders in the electoral reform agenda, the prime movers of KAZALIMBAGO changed the name into KAZALIMBAGO MOVEMENT, simply meaning REFORM movement and as such its proven strength and effect in reforming counterproductive election abuses can be rolled over into other areas of societal transformation, peace and development… 

“The mandate of the KAZALIMBAGO MOVEMENT is as a coordinative mechanism of the network of member individuals and organizations, government and civil society, committed to strengthen democracy through reform advocacies, the conduct of which brings about broader people’s participation and representation in governance and ensure thereby, people’s direct access to equal opportunities for human security and development.” 

Incumbent Kazalimbago chairperson Samira Gutoc-Tomawis said her group has been in the forefront in steering the peace covenant among candidates and their supporters. 

On her part, Dr. Noni Lao, head of LDSPC, said the council is always active in all programs of the Kazalimbago Movement. 

- RSP