Election result challenge over state funds

MARIELA VEGA, of the CD, and Olivares Frías, of the PRD, who last faced off during the May election, spent a Wednesday, September 18 each other for a second time this year, in an Electoral Tribunal (TE) courtroom.

Their first meeting was as candidates for the legislative seat in the 7-2 circuit in Los Santos. Vega was victorious, defeating Frías by less than 1,000 votes. But Frías has challenged the results, alleging that his opponent used state resources to help her campaign and claiming irregularities in the voting. It is one of a series of challenges relating to the use of state funds, and recent audits of several government agencies have indicated massive distribution of funds during the election campaign.
TE Judge Eduardo Valdés Escoffery presided over the hearing. Both politicians were accompanied to the courtroom by a large number of supporters. “Everything he says is false,” Vega said upon her arrival. “I am an honest woman.”
Frías said that it is a shame that the money Vega allegedly used in the campaign to sway voters wasn’t used to address the problems in the district, reports La Prensa.