“Since November 1, 2022, in the House Committee on Electoral and Constitutional Affairs, we have approved the replacement bill, which includes substantial amendments to the 2020 election law, (and still) no vote has taken place in the sister body,” the veteran Puerto Rican representative said. .
Varela, of the traditional People’s Democratic Party (PPD), explained that at the beginning of this legislative session, “we discussed the amendments with the advisors of the President of the Senate,” Jose Luis Dalmão Santiago, of his party, and nothing to enter the final stage, as it ends on June 30.
The New Progressive Annexation Party (PNP), headed by Governor Pedro Pierluizi, imposed changes ahead of the last election that marred the electoral process in Puerto Rico in 2020, as no consensus was sought with other registered parties.
“In a few months, the period for submitting nominations for the 2024 general election will begin, so it is imperative that we finally have draft amendments to the election law ready and approved, ensuring a transparent and reliable process, and avoiding the chaos that happened in the primaries and the 2020 elections,” Varela claimed.
He insisted that his colleagues in the Senate expedite the approval of the replacement bill “so that we can achieve these changes before the end of this session.”
The electoral commissioners of the People’s Democratic Party, Ramon Torres, and the National Progressive Party, Vanessa Santo Domingo Cruz, were reluctant to accept the replacement project for the Chamber of Deputies, which proposes to restore the principle of electoral balance and limit the powers of the head of state. Commission on Elections (CEE) of Puerto Rico.
In addition, ensuring the reliability of absentee voting and early voting processes and replacing the proposed electronic voter registration with an electronic voter registration portal.
The electoral commissioner of the Puerto Rico Independence Party (PIP), Roberto Aponte Berrios, and his colleague from the right-wing Dignity Project (PD), Nelson Rosario Rodriguez, introduced amendments to the replacement draft.
Lillian Aponte Dunes, electoral commissioner for the Selective Citizens Victory Movement (MVC), did the same, arguing that the measure “is inconsistent with the state’s claim that it wants greater participation, transparency and fairness in electoral processes”.
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