Following the refusal of the Electoral Service (Servel) to admit the registration of candidates for councilor of Renovación Nacional (RN), due to technical problems in the electoral body’s computer system and because it was outside the stipulated period, the Electoral Qualification Court (TRICEL) revoked the resolution issued by the Electoral Court of the O’Higgins region.
This situation caused the RN to file a complaint with Servel, given that the deadline for registering candidates was July 29, 2024, but the same electoral body presented a delay between 10:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. that same day, which prevented the candidates from registering normally. The technical failure was not applicable to the candidates, so the TRICEL decided to address the complaint filed by RN.
In this way, candidates for councilors from several communes of O’Higgins were affected and were unable to register, including: San Fernando, Rengo, San Vicente, Santa Cruz, La Estrella, Navidad, Graneros, Coltauco, Las Cabras, Litueche, Chépica, Pichidegua, Coinco, Malloa, Olivar, Marchigüe, Palmilla, Paredones, Peralillo, Peumo, Pichilemu and Pumanque.
The TRICEL also confirmed that the Servel had the necessary documentation to validate the candidates’ applications, except for some who did not meet the legal requirements, such as their affiliation to political parties, as well as inconsistencies in their declared residence.
It was also learned that RN published on its website that the biggest problem had occurred in the O’Higgins region, where 94 candidates had been affected when registering their candidacies and, in light of the ruling of the Electoral Qualification Court, it accepted the claim and determined that the problem was due to a “computer glitch.”
RN MANAGED TO REVERSE AND WILL HAVE APPLICANTS
We consulted the deputy and general secretary of the National Renewal (RN) party, Diego Schalper, about this situation that could have left out a large majority of candidates who aspired to be councilors in twenty communes in the region, clarifying that the Regional Electoral Courts rule in the first instance and there is the possibility of appealing to the electoral qualifying court.
He stressed that, through historical doctrine, the electoral qualifying court has made two principles prevail: democracy and participation. The first refers to finding a solution that both harms and benefits democracy, referring to the people who appeared in the SERVEL registers with the intention of being candidates and who only needed ratification by the party’s leadership.
Regarding the principle of participation, Schalper added that it is to promote the greatest possible political participation, therefore, “leaving the country’s main party without a candidate in some municipalities seemed absolutely incompatible with that to Servel.”
He also stated that “In this context, the Electoral Qualification Court has accepted the appeal of Renovación Nacional and has considered it pertinent to promote all the candidates,” Deputy Diego Schalper finally clarified.
#managed #register #candidates #councilors #OHiggins #region
