Snails pace for electoral reform

AFTER nine months of work, the National Commission for Electoral Reforms has discussed only 20 percent of the draft Modifications to the Electoral Code “, but the Assembly delegate is a no-show.

The commission aims to present it to the National Assembly in 2016 for implementation in time for the 2019 election. 2016 is less than three months away with November an almost no-work month, followed by the Christmas break.

To speed up the process, the committee will now hold sessions every week and not every two weeks as It had done with previously.

The committee, which began work in January has nine members, five from four political parties and members of civic groups and is reviewing 74 draft Reforms to the Electoral Code.

The adopted reforms so far include the public funding of political parties, the nomination process and early voting.

Another issue discussed at length was the immunity offered to party leaders and candidates.

Under the current code leaders have immunity from the convening of the electoral process until three months after proclamation of the winners of the popular election. They also have immunity during the period of internal party elections. These rules have delayed the prosecution of several officials from the previous administration including ex-president Ricardo Martinelli.

The commission aims to deliver three years ahead of the General elections so that they can be implemented prior to the next election.

Committee member Roberto Troncoso, sees the process taking much longer.

“We have not even started on the controversial topics,” said Troncoso, who complained that the political parties have a majority on the committee.

The absence of the National Assembly in the proceedings is causing concern amonf the rest of the organizations represented. The workers’ organizations have called on the Electoral Tribunal judges to “push” the Assembly to send its representative to the meetings.

The concern of the unions is the future of the draft electoral reforms when submitted to the legislature.

Legislative Vice President, Raul Hernandez, said he was unaware the reasons for the absence of a representative of the Assembly. “I have no idea who represents us”.