The president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Ramon Morel Cerda, was a no-show at the office yesterday after being notified that a majority of JCE judges had approved a set of rules and regulations that severely modified and limited his role as president of the board. According to the List?n Diario and El Caribe newspapers, Nelson Gomez, the judge in charge of the Administrative Chamber, held meetings with department heads and other administrative officials yesterday, telling reporters that any problems would be solved ?internally.?
Morel Cerda said yesterday that the judges of the country?s electoral court had staged an institutional coup d??tat. The new rules complement and conform to the Law for Electoral Reform (02-2003), and are a result of the National Dialogue. News commentators explained that despite the JCE being predominantly in the hands of PRD partisans, within the party there are different factions, which have led to a dilution of Morel Cerda?s power.