Japan calls first parliamentary elections in BARMM as historic step

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru described the election held for the first time in BARMM after autonomy as a "historic step" at the press conference.

Noting that they welcomed the elections, Kihara stated that the Japanese government has supported the peace process in the Mindanao region for more than 30 years.

According to the Jiji agency, an unnamed official from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that the elections were "an important achievement of Japan-supported peace efforts."

An observer delegation of 15 people from Japan was sent to the region to monitor the elections in BARMM.

Elections and region

In the parliamentary elections held in BARMM on September 14, the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) and the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) took the first two places.

Mel Senen Sarmiento, President of the Office of Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Advisory Office of the President of the Philippines (OPAPRU), said in his statement, "A new dawn has dawned for Bangsamoro. I congratulate the Bangsamoro people on the successful holding of the historic first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections." he said.

In the election that reflected the democratic will of the people in the autonomous region for the first time, the regional parliament was determined directly by the people in accordance with the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the basic law of BARMM.

According to data from the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the election participation rate was recorded as approximately 80 percent.

The new regional parliament, which will be elected by the people in line with the elections described as the "fruit" of peace efforts in the south of the Philippines, will also replace the temporary Bangsamoro Transitional Authority (BTA) parliament.

In the referendums held on January 21 and February 6, 2019, BOL, which brought comprehensive autonomy to the region, was accepted and BARMM was officially established and BTA was temporarily established.