Deputy mayor reflects on failed election move

Banfield before hitching herself to the current mayor’s election bandwagon was a well-known environmental activist whose supporters helped propel Jose Isobel Blandon into the Mayor’s office. But while serving as deputy mayor she disappointed many of her erstwhile fans.

She told  TVN News that without being a political candidate and, she left it too late to look for the minimum signatures. “This was not my life plan. Banfield  said  she  had approaches  from political parties, but he had to register with the group and she was not going to do it to accommodate herself

“I was the only candidate in office and being the mayor in charge limited me more. (…) There was a lot of

suspicion and people were wanted t to know what we were going to do with their signature, “she said.

Of the more than 7,000 submitted by Banfield to the Electoral Tribunal (TE ), a little over 5,000 were validated, while the minimum requirement was  8000 signatures.

“I have the lowest percentage of signatures removed, even those that had fewer signatures than me, my percentage was lower. We are really competing with people who have a political party structure like Mr. Martinelli. My campaign was with volunteers and many like me after a work day,” she said.

According to Banfield, it is necessary to generate the processes so that the independents have the conditions to do it well.