OPINION: Silencing the independent voices

In a robust democracy, the independent candidates would be sharing their ideas and deliberating on the great national problems to provoke the attention of the citizens and receive their support. Currently, the collection of signatures[to run for office] has become a competition that deadens the debate. Meanwhile, the Electoral Tribunal has had to climb the learning curve of this novel process, sometimes with tumbles, and sometimes with successes. As well as it has been regrettable that the number of independent participants has been limited by the free application to only three per position of election; it is more regrettable to muddy the reputation of the electoral referee lightly. The “signatures” system needs more transparency and much more caution because it is one of the ways that can best oxygenate our democracy. In the world of free postulation, aspirants clearly identified with political parties have proliferated, or even some who raise serious suspicions of being “fifth columns”. These challenges are insignificant in the face of the great damage that can be done to electoral institutions.-LA PRENSA, Nov.28