“Impossible” to include referendum with election ballots

The hope of adding to May’s election ballots a referendum on a Constituent Assembly to the May 5  election ballots is dead in the water according to the presiding magistrate of the Electoral Tribunal (TE).

Heriberto Araúz, said on Wednesday, February 6, that it is “humanly impossible” for the entity to include an additional ballot in the elections, for citizens to respond if they agree or disagree with convening a constituent assembly.

The magistrate said explained that in coming weeks the TE next weeks will give the order to proceed with the printing of the ballots that will be used in the elections.

In January in his final State of The Nation address to I the National Assembly President  Juan Carlos Varela who has earned the nickname “tortoise”  finally delivered a2014  election promise and announced in the Assembly the consultation for reforms to the Constitution.

He then rushed a note to the TE. They replied that to include the ballot, a law was required.

The Executive sent the bill to the Assembly where a committee is conducting citizen consultations before beginning to discuss the proposed law.

Meanwhile, the flying president is off to Paraguay for another “urgent” meeting.