Abstract
At three critical junctures before the recent restoration of formal democratic institutions and procedures under President Corazon Aquino (1986–92), Philippine presidential elections have seen the emergence of national campaigns for ‘free and clean elections’. In each case, an ostensibly non-partisan, cross-class movement in the spirit of non-violence, citizenship and voluntarism took on the ‘guns, goons and gold’ long associated with Philippine electoral politics. Thousands participated in these organized efforts to check voters’ registration lists, train pollwatchers, hold parallel vote counts, give voters’ education seminars, host bi-partisan candidate fora, and challenge and document fraud and violence that interfered with voting and canvassing. In terms of social base, these electoral-reform campaigns counted among their ranks businessmen and women, religious and secular clergy, members of parish and civic organizations, student and professional associations, veterans’ leagues and trade unions.
‘Protect the Ballot and Save the Nation’
— (National Movement for Free Elections 1953 slogan)
The author would like to thank Benedict Anderson, Peter Katzenstein, Jonas Pontusson and Sidney Tarrow for encouragement and guidance, and John Sidel for everything from thoughtful criticism to welcome distraction. Research for this chapter was assisted by grants from the Albert Einstein Institute, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and travel grants from Cornell University. Of course, responsibility for the ideas and opinions expressed below fall solely on the author.
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Hedman, EL.E. (1997). Constructing Civil Society: Election Watch Movements in the Philippines. In: Lindberg, S., Sverrisson, Á. (eds) Social Movements in Development. International Political Economy Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-25448-4_11
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