THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to hold the first-ever National Elections Summit in January 2023 to be participated in by election stakeholders in the country.
In a statement, Elections Commissioner Nelson Celis said the summit seeks to establish an engagement between the poll body and other stakeholders while gathering recommendations on how to improve the Philippine electoral system.
“One objective of this summit is to provide a platform for a national dialogue and interaction with, consultation and participation of election stakeholders in the review, formulation, or enhancement of policies, plans, and programs in election administration and electoral enforcement and adjudication,” Celis said.
He also said that even prior to the actual summit, there will be pockets of consultations that will be conducted by the Commission.
“The National Election Summit in 2023 will be a culmination of dialogues and consultations held nationwide to address key issues, identify opportunities for meaningful and sustainable reforms, and to map out strategies towards a free, orderly, honest, and credible Philippine elections and other exercises,” said Celis.
The poll official said the policy recommendations from the summit will be endorsed for consideration of the Comelec en Banc, and then submitted to Congress to help enhance the legal framework shaping the election system.
Last week, the Comelec already held one of the initial consultations with several poll stakeholders.
Expected to be present during the summit are representatives of National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, Legal Network for Truthful Elections, Center for People Empowerment in Governance, ACT Teachers Partylist, Halalang Marangal, and Automated Election System Watch.
