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I am reposting this article in the light of new developments in the 2010 Poll Computerization Project being undertaken by controversial Smartmatic in behalf of COMELEC. As per latest news reports, Smartmatic has subcontracted the manufacturing of the vote counting machines to Qisda, China instead of Jarltech, Taiwan which they claimed to have 10% ownership of during the bidding process. Apparently, I was right when I pointed out that the whole thing (about Jarltech) was merely to win the bidding process and circumvent COMELEC bid rules.What worries me is the fact that the whole run-around is being done with the blessings of the Poll Body. I feel there is a need for utmost vigilance from here on and that both Smartmatic and Comelec must be made to explain the diversion from the original winning bid documents!
Smartmatic: Hugo Chavez's e-voting firm "A large and powerful investor in the software company that will design electronic ballots and record votes for Venezuela's new and much criticized election system is the Venezuelan government itself... Venezuela's investment in Bizta Corp., the ballot software firm, gives the government 28 percent ownership of the company it will use to help deliver voting results in future elections, including the possible recall referendum against President Hugo Chavez, according to records obtained by The Herald... Until a year ago, the Bizta Corp. was a struggling Venezuelan software company with barely a sales deal to its name, records show. Then, the Venezuelan government -- through a venture capital fund -- invested about $200,000 and bought 28 percent of it" (sic).
Jorge Tirado, president of CGC, has been consultant for the State Electoral Commission of Puerto Rico since1975. He has participated in more than 63 electoral processes as consultant or as head of CGC, leading technological initiatives and process lines to ensure transparent elections.However El Universal reported that Tirado had indeed participated in 63 electoral processes not in the condition of organizer but as an observer contracted by IFES , Jimmy Carter's organization with which he has an old relationship.
Smartmatic's claim of 10% ownership of Jarltech has not been thoroughly verified by COMELEC's SBAC, and available information about Jarltech does not include Smartmatic as one of its investors. For a PHP 11.3B project, it is but prudent that extensive investigation on the matter must first be made and not rely merely on notarized documents submitted by the bidder (which can easily be fabricated). Besides, PCOS machines have never been fabricated by Jarltech before and this will be the first time they will be producing such machines - which make Smartmatic ineligible in terms of organization and experience in the conduct of electoral processes.
The Venezuelan government once had a stake in a company closely linked to Smartmatic. Venezuela invested in Bizta, which is owned by two of Smartmatic's main owners, including Mr. Mujica. Bizta provides software for Smartmatic's voting system and joined Smartmatic in selling that system to the Chávez government for the 2004 recall election. Venezuela sold its stake in Bizta after The Miami Herald reported on the investment, which prompted complaints that the Chávez government shouldn't have any interest in machines that would determine his stay in office.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF ALL THESE?
I thought I would write you because I’m concerned about some things that have been happening at home. I am not sure who you will endorse for president but I know that it will most likely tip the balance again, much in the way that your endorsements have done in the past. I have never felt the need to write you before, although I have always carefully observed your decisions through the years.
With this revelation, you should not now wonder why practically everyone in Arroyo's cabinet have signified their intentions to run for public office in the coming 2010 elections! You should not wonder now why a practically unknown figure in Philippine politics, with no party affiliations at all to begin with, and only boasts of being Arroyo's Defense Secretary for a short while would run for the highest position in the country. You should not now wonder why Arroyo and her henchmen have the nerve and the gall to call for a charter change like Manuel Zelaya....why they have the nerve to go on wanton spending binges abroad while the rest of the country is mired in poverty!Today MarketLeverageTV becomes the MarketLeverage TV Network with multiple shows. And during the debut episode of WrapUp the winners of BenSpark's Ultimate IZEAFest Prize Pack Contest will be chosen.
This contest sprang forth from the mind of Drew Bennett - AKA BenSpark (@BenSpark) after writing his list of 10 Essential items to bring with you to IZEAFest. While writing that post Drew was thinking about all the conferences that he's attended over the years and the things that were essential to a blogger at each event. His dream was to be able to provide those items as prizes to a lucky blogger who will be attending IZEAFest 2009. That along with his 10 Reasons to Attend IZEAFest 2009 gave him inspiration to ask for help in making his dream of giving a great prize pack to some lucky bloggers a reality.
So Drew went out and asked multiple sponsors for help. He is an IZEA Insider for the "I'm Not A Famous Blogger" Crew and as such was provided with tickets to IZEAFest. So prize number one was taken care of. You can't have an Ultimate IZEAFest Prize Pack without a ticket to IZEAFest. From there Drew recruited the generous help of Dina Riccobono (@MLDina) and MarketLeverage (@MarketLeverage) who provided Drew with an Asus Eee PC 1000HA and a Flip Mino HD that is Co-Branded BenSpark.com and MarketLeverage!
Early on when Drew started his search for prizes he made a request from ZINK Imaging who gave him two Polaroid Pogos and 200 sheets of ZINK Paper. He uses one of them to create unique Business cards. When Drew meets you he asks you to take a photo with him using his Xshot. He then prints out an instant photo with his Pogo on ZINK paper and sticks it to the back of his business card. Drew is donating one of his Polaroid PoGos to the winner. He also secured An Xshot for each winner because there are two runner up winners who not only get IZEAFest Tickets (A fantastic and valuable prize in its own right) but they will each get a smaller prize pack.
Drew's friend Michael at Xshot hooked him up with a business contact in the Flipbac Innovations Company and they kicked in some Flipbac (@flipbac) angled viewfinder and LCD screen protectors for digital cameras as prizes. Each Runner up gets one of those and Drew has a few extra to give away at IZEAFest.
To keep people going all weekend long Drew was able to get a case of BluFrog Wildly Healthy Energy Drink donated by Martha Decker (@MarDeck). He is also including energy drink packets from EBOOST (@EBOOST). Drew will have close to 100 packets to give away at IZEAFest 2009, come find him for one. Runner up winners also get an EBOOST prize pack.
Continuing to fill out his Ultimate IZEAFest Prize Pack Drew sought out help from one of his "I'm Not A Famous Blogger" crew members, Jennifer Leet (@jentifa. Jennifer is the queen of contests and she connected with one of her sponsors BriteView (@BriteView to get a Cinema Cube to add to the Ultimate IZEAFest Prize Pack.
Still not quite sure that he had the Ultimate Prize Pack for an IZEAFest attendee Drew sought out something innovative and cool that would reflect the fun open spirit of learning and networking of IZEAFest. He found the perfect prize in the Poken. Drew asked a question on Twitter about whether the Poken was worth the money and the call was answered by @PokenGirl. PokenGirl explained that the Poken is a device that one can use to connect with other people physically by slapping a "High 4" with that other person's Poken. What that does is exchange a digital business card that contains your online social media profiles. Since IZEAFest is all about learning, having fun and making connections with other people a Poken is a great prize that will be going to each of the winners. They even get to choose which of the cute little Pokens they want.
With the Prize Pack Assembled Drew only needed to find some willing judges and he did at Affiliate Summit East. First he recruited Famous Blogger Murray Newlands (@MurrayNewlands), then "I'm Not A Famous Blogger" crew member Tim Jones (@Timothy_Jones) or rather The Real Tim Jones. He also recruited Eric Schechter @ericschechter of ClickBooth and last but not least he recruited Kim Ann Curtin (@KimAnnCurtin, Life Coach to the Affiliates.
The Judges had a difficult task ahead of them. There were four bloggers who went that extra mile to try for the Ultimate IZEAFest Prize Pack. Those folks along with the many others who entered the random drawing are waiting on the edge of their seats until WrapUp airs on the MarketLeverage TV Network Monday Morning 10:30am EST.
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