Government insider staff accused of breaking electoral laws

CALLS FOR An official investigation for the alleged commission of an election offense by well-placed government employees appearing in propaganda commercials gone to electoral prosecutor, Eduardo Penaloza.

The officials who appear in a television commercial "Generating more changes," work for Democratic Change ( CD) , administration and promote the presidential candidacy of José Domingo AriasIn thecommercial

At least Fifteen young people all with high positions in government, appear in the commercial including the Minister of Housing and Land Management ( Miviot ) Yasmina Pimentel (holiday) , Vice Minister of Commerce , Luis Eduardo Camacho Jr. ( on leave) , the Vice Minister of the Presidency, Sygrid Barragán , the director general of the Public Registry , Hernando Carrasquilla Abraham , among others.
In the commercial officials argue that the government administration have given opportunities to young people. At the end of the notice the announcement of the campaign slogan of the ruling political aspirant is heard: “José Domingo Arias … The strength of the new."
says the announcement may clash with a rule of Electoral Code, which defines this behavior as a crime. He refers to Article 30 of the law that prohibits public officials using the authority and influence of their positions to serve the interests of certain candidates or organizations. It says that "public servants are prohibited from propaganda activities and party affiliation during their hours of service and cannot use the authority or influence of office to serve the interests of certain candidates in the electoral process or the organizations they support"
Troncoso, says electoral prosecutor Eduardo Penaloza, a CD appointee, should make an immediate inquiry. "These are situations that are obvious, public and notorious, with no other option than to do the research," he said.
Javier Ordinola specialist on electoral issues , agreed that propaganda violates the election law, and questioned the prosecutor not acting against these and other violations of the rules.
"With thevisual evidence there is no obstacle to the electoral prosecutor initiating an official investigation," he said.
Ordinola also criticized the ruling party’s strategy of mixing government communication, i.e., commercials leaving officials in highlighting the works made by the government, with the propaganda of the ruling party candidate. "This is what they use to influence and convince voters that they should vote for them," he said.
Gerardo Solis, PRD Vice-presidential candidate and former Electoral Tribunal judge, called for prison terms for those that, contrary to electoral law, participated in this political propaganda for Jose Domingo Arias.
"This is an election offense and is punishable with imprisonment. Let's wait for May 4 , with a new decent government , to prosecute all those who have performed acts of electoral corruption. All [the ones in this propaganda] are using the influence of their positions to proselytize and to influence the electorate. They are violating the Electoral Code, “he said.

Solis added that the judges of the Electoral Court can do nothing against this new violation of the law, before the election if tax not doing research.
Attempts to get comments from officials involved in the political ad were met with silence says La Prensa and the Secretary of State Communication , Luis Eduardo Camacho prosecutor Eduardo Penaloza, would not give statements .

Arias, meanwhile , downplayed the approaches of those who warn of the existence of an electoral offense and stated that " these officials did not conduct propaganda during office hours , or using state resources ." "Do not you see no rhyme or these charges," he said.
Meanwhile, the president of "Generating more changes," who participates in the propaganda and is the son of Luis Eduardo Camacho son, said that critics arise because previous governments never gave young people the opportunity to participate in the structures government says La Prensa.