THE slew of anti-democratic measures taken recently by embattled Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, from gagging government officials to cracking down on the frequent anti-government demonstrations in Manila, has left many observers with the sinking feeling that the future of a free and open democracy in the Philippines is in imminent danger. The more Arroyo cracks down, the more many Filipinos are drawing parallels between her anti-democratic excesses and those of the infamous dictator President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
Allegations that she won last year’s presidential election through massive fraud and cheating refuse to die down. The fact that the president admitted that it was indeed her voice heard on the famous “Hello, Garci” tapes, which were wiretaps of phone conversations between herself and former Commission on Elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, has added to suspicions that she didn’t win the elections fairly. These suspicions grew after it was discovered in early August that Garcillano had been secretly whisked out of the country by government operatives so that he could not testify before a Senate committee investigating the tapes. In late August, when opposition senators tried to impeach her in Congress, Arroyo used her party’s majority in the House of Representatives to squash the complaints against her.
And now, in a major showdown with senators, she has ordered all government and military officials not to testify before a Senate committee without her written approval, or risk being dismissed from their jobs. Already, two military officials have lost their jobs for doing so, and face being court-martialed. This gag order is producing a constitutional crisis, where two co-equal branches of government are at loggerheads. Senators insist that according to the constitution they have the right to summon any government official for questioning, without the president’s permission. Arroyo, clearly disagrees. Ten senators this week sent an appeal to the president, asking her to sit down with them and work out a compromise solution. The response from Malacanang Palace was tepid to say the least.
The announcement on Tuesday that a warrant for the arrest of television evangelist and Arroyo critic Brother Eduardo “Eddie” Villanueva had been issued on charges of financial fraud, coupled with the announcement last week that the government was going to take away the Hacienda Luisita that belongs to the family of another critic, former President Corazon Aquino, has made it clear that the president is out to destroy anyone that opposes her. This is unfortunate as not only does it attack the basic democratic rights of freedom of expression and demonstration, it will also further polarize a country that is about to fall apart politically. Arroyo should listen to the senators trying to reach out to her and come to some agreement fast. Giving a few key Cabinet posts to opposition leaders in Congress would be a good start to forming a government that would share power between warring factions, and truly have a chance at healing a deeply wounded nation.

Wise decision

After some 40 years of trying, Turkey has just about made it. The European Union decided in Brussels on Tuesday to go ahead with negotiations with Ankara for full EU membership. This is a breakthrough for both Turkey and Europe. Some European quarters have been hesitant to give Ankara the green light on membership for fear that a large Muslim nation such as Turkey would threaten European resources, as well as culture and civilisation. But the greater majority of Europeans who viewed the Turkish membership differently and interpreted it as an asset for Europe prevailed and gave Turkey the nod that it has long been awaiting.
As British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw pointed out during the debate at the EU headquarters, Turkey is a valuable member of NATO and has defended European and Western interests for decades. Its efforts at economic reform would be strengthened and the political stability that accompanies economic strength can only contribute to the socio-economic health of the EU. Mehmet Simsek, an emerging market economist with Merrill Lynch, told BBC News that, at first, “Turkey will be a net recipient [of EU aid],” but in another 15 years or so “Turkey will actually be a net contributor to the EU budget, on the basis of the fact that Turkey is currently growing three to four times the EU trend growth.”
There is no question that Ankara still has a long way to go before it attains EU membership — with a target date in 2014. Turkey made great strides in meeting the EU conditions by amending its basic legislation on democracy and human rights. More importantly, Turkey made considerable progress in improving its human rights record on the ground. By the year 2014, Turkey is expected to complete all that is needed in order to qualify as a full EU member. Such efforts warrant appreciation. It is believed that a secular Muslim Turkey will contribute a great deal to the advancement of Europe’s socio-economic wealth and can be a key player in securing peace and stability in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

—Arab News