Congress President Basilio Núñez rebutted Monday the accusations from Senator Lilian Samaniego about alleged irregularities in the audit of voting machines for internal party elections. In statements to the press, Núñez stated that the electoral schedule was followed and that all parties and movements had the opportunity to send representatives to monitor the process.
“I place my trust in the TSJE, in which we are a minority, one representative of the Colorado Party, and that representative, compared to the other two members, was appointed in previous periods. I believe that trying to create a debt before the elections is harmful to democracy,” Núñez declared.
Samaniego, who chaired the ANR between 2016 and 2020, requested an independent audit of the voting machines from the Governing Board and the Party Electoral Court. In response, the ANR proxy, Eduardo González, recalled that candidacies were registered between January and February and that electoral agents should have followed the schedule instead of “irresponsibly” requesting the postponement of elections.
Núñez also questioned Samaniego's stance: “When Lilian was party president, who did she appoint? A person she trusted, the same was done by the PLRA and the other parties.” He added that electoral deadlines are peremptory and non-extendable, and that in February there was a call for interested movements to control and audit the machines, but many were absent.
The Congress President stated that a sector tries to confuse the citizenry and cast doubt on a voting system proposed by the opposition itself, both the machines and the open-list mechanism. The voting machines were checked at the TSJE headquarters for all parties, according to the established schedule.
González reinforced that the audit was carried out between the Party Electoral Court and the TSJE, and that no one requested additional information. He also recalled that Samaniego was invited several times to discuss electoral issues within the party, but did not attend.