1. REFORMS TO THE ELECTORAL CODE:
A WASTE OF EFFORTS?
July 4th, 2013
AN “EXTRAORDINARY” SESSION OF CONGRESS...
On Wednesday July the 3rd an extraordinary session of congress was called. In this session, several reforms to the Electoral Code, which regulates the electoral events in the country, were passed with 61 votes (ARENA, FMLN and CD.)
In this newsletter we will tell you about some of the reforms and why these are important. We will also tell you about the
pending reforms and why it is important to discuss them.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THESE ISSUES?
ANTICIPATED CAMPAIGNING
These reforms left aside the issue of “anticipated campaigns”
and the fines for such practice remain at $1,000.00 and
$5,000.00. This was an opportunity for:
Definiting the time range when a candidate can campaign,
fines that actually serve as a deterent to this practice and
effective mechanisms of sanction.
If the intention was to not regulate such time period, the reforms could have left wide open the campaigning periods so a
candidate can campaign when he/she wants to, like in other
countries.
These options did not reach the table. Our Congressmembers
didn’t even discuss the issue and the reformed Code ignores
such an important issue.
SEPARATION OF DUTIES
For elections to be conducted in an ideal fashion, it is necessary for the electoral authority to have clearly defined duties
and a separation of its jurisdictions:
a non partisan and technical institution charged with the
administrative aspect of the electoral events. This
institution would have been in charge of administrating resources in an more efficient manner.
A political institution with jurisdiction: an entity formed
by representatives of political parties that would hear
and judge electoral controversies.
With such a reform, an opportunity was missed to include
this important need or at least begin a serious debate about
it. The issue was left aside.
Reforming an Electoral Code was an opportunity to update it and adapt it to the times and needs we face. To
call for a special session of congress for such timid reforms is a waste of effort, time and resources!