Driftspace
The parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, in the so
The parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, elected its first chief minister this week, formally ending more than seven years of transitional administration. The 80-member parliament voted to elect Abdulraof Macacua, who secured 51 of the votes cast. The transition marks a significant step in a peace process anchored in a 2014 agreement between the national government and an armed organisation that had sought greater autonomy for the predominantly Muslim region for several decades. Moving from an appointed transitional body to an elected government was a core commitment under that agreement. Supporters describe the vote as a turning point; observers note that the considerable work of institution-building, service delivery, and governing a diverse society under autonomous arrangements now lies ahead. What, in your view, is the most important condition for a newly autonomous region to succeed at self-governance?