Nearly 2.4 million voters in the Bangsamoro region of the southern Philippines are casting their ballots in their first parliamentary election on Monday. This historic vote is a major step toward regional self-governance after decades of conflict that caused about 150,000 deaths since the 1970s.
Voters are choosing 80 members for the new parliament, which serves as the region's legislative body. Once elected, the parliament will choose the region's chief minister to head the executive government. Election officials are aiming for a voter turnout of at least 80 percent after the election was postponed for several years.
The vote marks the end of a transition period that began after a 2014 peace agreement. Under the deal, former rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front agreed to disarm and give up their goal of an independent state in exchange for regional autonomy.
However, incidents of violence and cheating disrupted preparations shortly before polling stations opened. In Cotabato City, election authorities took direct control of local security after a shooting on Sunday killed three people and injured 15 others. In the town of Maluso, officials discovered pre-marked ballots in 36 precincts, forcing them to print new ballots and delay voting in those areas.