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The current elections in the Philippines
are seen as an acid test for President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo, who came to power at the height of a military-backed
people's power revolution that ended Estrada's 31-month
rule.
In an overhaul of the entire 262-member
House of Representatives both parties are accusing each
other of cheating and/or manipulating the counts.
On the crest of mass protests Arroyo
came to power last January in a moral war against corruption,
largely led by Manila's middle class and elite. People
Power 2 may have set a dangerous precedent in the Philippines.
Arroyo now has a tough job ahead: to
set a direction economically and politically; to unite
competing interests and heal the divisions of the past;
as well as convince her people there is hope ahead.
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