HONG KONG -- The Philippines is lurching toward a crisis in which democracy is part of the problem instead of part of the solution. While, in theory, a long, arduous presidential election should leave a nation better aware of itself and eagerly awaiting a new beginning, in the Philippines it has left the nation blighted with uncertainty, anxious that any proclaimed "new beginning" will turn out to be an impossible dream.
Hopes of a fresh start as a result of the electoral process have been hurt by the inordinate amount of time taken to count the votes after the May 10 election. The hand counting and official checking of Philippine balloting has always been a time-consuming process. On this occasion, the counting has been protracted to the extent that even greater doubt has been cast on the validity of the results.
Filipinos are cynically accustomed to assuming that belated election results are more likely to reflect the wishes of those doing the counting and the checking rather than the precise preferences of the people. The inordinate delays this year have only fed their suspicions.