Leidy Blanco Garcíacoordinator of the Political Analysis Unit of Citizen Participation considered “regrettable” the rejection of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) at the request of extraordinary electionsyes in La Vega to elect municipal authorities.
According to the JCE“does not have legal jurisdiction to convene elections extraordinary.” To which Blanco responded: “It is regrettable that we continue discussing an issue that should never have been discussed.”
The executive highlighted that the situation what happened in La Vega weakens the electoral system and institutions“that was a negotiation that took place behind the scenes, where it legitimized incorrect actions, which weakened a national system. Apart from this, the JCE took his decisionbut there is the Court of the Civil and Commercial Chamber of the Justice of the Peace of that province that he is in power”.
He said that we must wait for this court to take a decision. “While it is true that the electoral law itself establishes the reasons why certain elections extraordinary, does not include the resignation of one of the candidates, – but includes others – in which many things are open to interpretation. You have to wait for the decision of the court,” he emphasized.
While the vice president of the Institutional Foundation and Justice (Finjus), Servio Tulio Castaños Guzmán, indicated that it is necessary to wait for the decision of the court that was empowered demanding the annulment of the resolution that swears in the vice mayor Custodian Protection, when she was scheduled to take over as mayor to replace Kelvin Cruz.
In case the Superior Administrative Court cancel the swearing-in of vice-mayor, the solution could be to hold new elections. “We must wait for the court to rule and, if it confirms the resolution of the council of aldermen proclaiming Amparo Custodio as mayor of La Vegathere will be nothing more to do,” he said.
“This case is still open,” he stressed.
JCE reject new elections
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) rejected this Thursday the requests for a call to elections extraordinary in La Vega deposited by the Democratic Option party and the Primero Foundation Justicelast August.
The body indicated that it does not have legal jurisdiction to convene to elections extraordinary in the municipality, despite the void that was generated three months ago with the resignation of Mayor Kelvin Cruz and Vice Mayor Amparo Custodio.
In its motivations, the JCE noted that the Law 20-23of the Electoral Regime, only empowers convene elections extraordinary when the previous ones are annulled, an aspect that did not occur in this case of La Vega.
